Public health consultant Dr Parameswaran Kishore has no doubt the combined measles, mumps and rubella vaccine for children is the best way forward.
His latest comments come following the news an investigation is being carried out by the General Me
dical Council into the research methods used by the doctor who threw doubt on the safety of the MMR jab.
MMR was introduced in the UK in 1988. Its safety became a thorny topic in 1998 when medical journal The Lancet printed a study by Dr Andrew Wakefield linking MMR with inflammatory bowel disease and autism.
This prompted many parents across the British Isles to refuse the combined MMR jab.
Worried parents opted for single vaccines, not available on the NHS because official advice is that the combined option is the best. This meant many chose to visit private clinics and pay.
Now it's being alleged by editors of The Lancet that the researchers involved in the study had a conflict of interest, having been involved in another legal aid-funded study conducted by Dr Wakefield. This study looked into whether there was evidence behind claims by parents their children had been harmed by MMR. Some of the children were involved in both trials.
'In other words Dr Wakefield had been paid by the Legal Aid Board to investigate if there was a case linking MMR and autism and he did not disclose this to the editors of the journal, as is required,' said Dr Kishore.
'It is hoped that this new revelation will help to dispel any lingering doubts which members of the public have about the safety of MMR and that parents would ensure that their children are vaccinated with MMR. It is also worth recalling that in the past there had been serious problems resulting from use of single vaccines.'
Dr Wakefield is welcoming the chance to clear his name through the investigation. The allegations made by The Lancet don't cover the findings of the study.
Dr Kishore added: 'The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (the body which advises the UK Government on vaccine policy] has always maintained that MMR is safe and effective and that there is no link between MMR and autism.
'I attend the JCVI regularly to ensure that the Isle of Man vaccination policies reflect the latest scientific evidence. Our policy has been that MMR is and has always been safe.'
