I refer to the report headlined, 'Vaccine linked to disease', by Jane Moir, which appeared in the South China Morning Post on August 20.
I would like to call upon the Department of Health to make public (either through these columns or otherwise) more information regarding the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine in question, alleged to be correlated with the incidence of autism and Crohn's disease.
Although further reports are to be published later this year, it would not seem unreasonable at this point for parents to make a more informed decision about the health and future lives of their children, to ask that the department: Clarify exactly which MMR vaccine is the 'culprit' (identification name or code so that parents can inquire of clinics and hospitals) and describe in more detail the symptoms and required treatments of the two ailments concerned.
To the best of its knowledge now, outline the pros and cons of receiving versus not receiving the vaccination, that is, what the risks involved in each case are, and what the other possible factors associated with autism and Crohn's disease are.
Expected to spur a 'profound rethink' on vaccinations in Britain, this new finding must surely warrant some degree of caution here in Hong Kong. Would the spokesman for the Department of Health please comment on this matter, as not all paediatricians/hospitals, presumably, have access to the results of the study at this stage.
NAME AND ADDRESS SUPPLIED
