MMR Vaccine Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

MMR Vaccine - Essay Example Prior to introduction of the vaccine, the most common cause of meningitis related to virus was mumps (NHS, 2004). Mumps is also in the stage of wiping-out because of the vaccine. Even the impact of rubella on fetuses has drastically decreased due to the vaccine. MMR has always been given as a combination vaccine and separate vaccination programme was never there in the United Kingdom (NHS, 2004). Thus, MMR is a very effective vaccine. However, several concerns have been raised by some experts about the safety of these vaccines because of reports of some studies pointing to the development of various complications like asthma, Guillain-Barre Syndrome, Crohns disease, Autism and Subacute Sclerosing Panencephalitis (Mediinfo, 2004). Of interest is a major study by Wakefiled et al (1998) published in the popular magazine Lancet which linked mumps vaccine to autism. According to this study, MMR vaccine can lead to autism spectrum disorders with associated enterocolitis. In the study, parents of eight out of 12 children who presented with "history of normal development followed by loss of acquired skills, including language, together with diarrhea and abdominal pain" (Wakefiled et al, 1998) reported that the onset of symptoms were after administration of MMR vaccine. This was a major breakthrough study that forced the UK government to discontinue the vaccine until further research . Based on the reports of the study, the rates of vaccination of MMR vaccine dropped dramatically (McIntyre and Leask, 2008), leading to an increase in the incidence of mumps and measles and their associated complications like morbidity and mortality (Pepys, 2007). The reports of the study were investigated by a journalist by name Brian Deer who discovered the fact that the main researcher of the study, Andrew Wakefield had some conflicts of interest that were