MMR 'not linked' to baby's death

George Fisher's parents think the MMR jab was "implicated" in his death

The death of an 18-month-old Cheltenham boy was due to natural causes and not linked to an MMR jab he received 10 days earlier, a coroner has ruled.

George Fisher was discovered by his mother Sarah, 42, at their Cheltenham home in January 2006.

Mrs Fisher and her husband Christopher, 43, believe the vaccine was "implicated" in their son's death.

But coroner Alan Crickmore said George's symptoms had emerged too soon after the jab to be related to it.

Recording a verdict of natural causes he said George had died "from a rare condition known as Sudden Unexpected Death in Childhood, due to an unascertained disease".

The inquest had been told by a number of medical experts there was no evidence of a link between George's death and the administration of the vaccine.

Speaking outside court the Fisher's lawyer Judith Leach said the family were extremely disappointed by the verdict.

"In the absence of any medical evidence to explain why their healthy little boy died and given the timing of the MMR vaccination in relation to George's death, his parents firmly believe there is a link between the two events and that the MMR vaccine had a role to play in George's death," she said.