Right jab?

Sir.

I agree with Roger Fisken that there is no authenticated research which links the MMR jab to "autistic spectrum" disorders, as they should be known but, from my own experience, this amounts to a hole in the medical knowledge, rather than a vindication of the vaccine. Through a fluke of geography, at 18 months old, my son was referred to Dr Chakrabahti at the Stafford Child Development Centre, a leading light in the diagnosis of such disorders. He diagnosed my son as having Pervasive Development Disorder — Not Otherwise Specified (PDD NOS). He has discovered a sharp increase in the incidence of such disorders and his team encouraged us to start a parents support group. Having met a large number of parents, I am staggered by the similarities in the onset of the disorders within their offspring. It is irrelevant at what age the child is vaccinated but generally 2-4 weeks after the MMR jab, they lose attention, avoid eye contact and become insular. My son lost the 10 words of speech and the "normal" development he had pre-MMR. This pattern is reflected elsewhere. Given the recent explosion in the number of cases being diagnosed and the fact that the MMR jab has been introduced during this time, it appears to me (circumstantially at least) that the two are linked. Consequently, I have refused to let my younger daughter have the vaccine (in spite of a home visit from the county immunologist imploring me to) and I urge all other parents to do the same — this would force action from the top. Something has to be done.

NEIL ALLEN.

Via e-mail

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