More children given MMR vaccine

Health experts have been working to increase confidence in MMR

The number of children having the MMR jab has increased for the first time in over a year, statistics have shown.

Official figures for the third quarter of 2003 show the number of two-year-olds in the UK given the jab rose by 0.9% to 79.8%.

The increase raises hopes that more parents are being persuaded the measles, mumps and rubella jab is safe.

Uptake fell because of concerns over a potential link with autism, but no link has ever been proved.

HERD IMMUNITY Imagine the whole population as a herd of animals The vaccinated 'animals' who are directly protected against the disease shield those who haven't had the jab - such as babies under 12 months old and some ill children - from getting measles. So the whole herd stays healthy But this relies on healthy people assessing the risks and deciding that it is best to be immunised for the good of everyone as well as their own good. In the case of MMR, 95% of children need to be immunised in order to provide 'herd immunity'

The overwhelming majority of experts believe the vaccine is safe.

Experts at the Health Protection Agency (HPA), which published the statistics, welcomed the increase and said they hoped the trend would continue.

The areas that saw the most notable increases were Wales (1.5%), the west midlands (1.3%) and the south east and south west, which both saw increases of 0.8%.

But no area reached the target for 95% of children to have the MMR in order to give "herd immunity".

In vaccine coverage, it is the percentage, rather than absolute numbers immunised, which is key.

The HPA also released provisional figures for measles cases.

It estimated there were 442 confirmed cases of measles in 2003 in England and Wales compared to 308 during 2002.

'Overwhelming evidence'

Dr Natasha Crowcroft of the HPA, who co-ordinates the vaccine uptake programme, told BBC News Online: "This is a big step in the right direction.

Hopefully, more and more parents will come forward to have their children vaccinated Dr Natasha Crowcroft, Health Protection Agency

"It's too early to say we've turned the corner, but I hope we have."

She added: "The improvement is largely due to work at a local level with health professionals and parents to restore confidence, as well as possibly a growing understanding in the media of the overwhelming evidence that MMR is a safe vaccine.

"Hopefully, more and more parents will come forward to have their children vaccinated.

"It is important parents know their child can have MMR at any age and whatever other vaccines they have received, so if they have missed out in the past it is always still possible to catch up. "

She said more people seemed to be accepting that MMR was safe.

"The NHS needs to offer the best vaccine. MMR is the best vaccine."

But Jackie Fletcher, of the campaign group Jabs which has raised concerns over a potential link between MMR and autism, told BBC News Online: "It is important to reduce the incidence of illness, but we have to make sure we're not replacing acute illness with chronic disease."

Sue Brown of Sense, the national deafblind and rubella association, said: "Since the introduction of MMR the numbers of children affected by congenital rubella syndrome, the number of terminations due to rubella disease or contact in pregnancy, and the incidence of rubella in the population at large, have all dropped dramatically."