London: Parents who refuse to immunise their children with the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) jab are contributing to an "inevitable" outbreak of measles, health experts are warning.

The message is being hit home after the latest Department of Health figures show only 73.3 per cent of two-year-olds in the borough have had the controversial three-in-one jab a drop of 13 per cent since 1996.

And figures for the capital show an overall decline of six per cent in uptake of the jab between September 2001 and April this year.

The World Health Organisation says immunisation levels should be between 90 and 95 per cent to protect public health.

Researchers at London's Royal Free Hospital say MMR immunisation may lead to autism or bowel disease and claim taking single jabs for all three diseases would be safer.

But Dr David Elliman, the immunisation expert for Wandsworth and Merton and Sutton Primary Care Trusts, dismissed such fears, saying medical opinion around the world had concluded there is no such link.

"Measles is a very infectious disease. These figures are abysmal and there will inevitably be outbreaks at that level. We've already had an outbreak of measles in south London earlier this year," he said.

"The publicity about MMR has been very selective. It is spin put out by individual researchers or the newspapers. I can understand why, after all the confusing publicity, parents may be anxious. All the evidence shows the best way to protect children against the disease is by using the combined MMR vaccine."

Dr Elliman said health chiefs had launched a summer campaign to check the accuracy of current immunisation records before raising awareness of the MMR jab among parents.

Under the campaign, parents would also be advised about immunising their children with the MMR jab before visiting countries where measles is still common.

Health chiefs fear children will infect each other at the beginning of the autumn term if immunisation levels do not rise.

Dr Elliman added: "Our present levels of immunisation are not high enough 85 per cent is enough to protect a child at home but we need levels to be even higher, particularly for primary and secondary schools where outbreaks are more likely to occur."

July 15, 2002 10:30