femail.co.ukarticle.htmlOpen ↗ New support
for MMR doubts by JENNY HOPE, Daily Mail he safety of the MMR vaccine has again been called into
question as a study appeared to back the British doctor who first linked it to autism and bowel
disease. Dr Andrew Wakefield's findings have been dismissed as flawed by Government scientists and
the Department of Health, who say they have not been replicated by other researchers. But experts at
New York University School of Medicine have found independent support for his concerns over the
measles, mumps and rubella jab.
In a study of 22 children whose parents said they had been made ill by MMR, Dr Arthur Krigsman made
the same findings as Dr Wakefield's group at London's Royal Free Hospital. Dr Krigsman said he had
seen the same pattern of illness and discovered similar abnormalities in the youngsters' bowels.
Speaking on Channel 4 News, Dr Krigsman said: 'Their descriptions, much to my surprise, matched
what the Royal Free group had stated. 'I got 22 results back that were identical before I was
convinced that this pathology is real and that these kids have got something that we are now aware
of and we need to look at further.' More controversy over MMR was stirred last night by a Channel
Five drama, Hear The Silence, which starred Juliet Stevenson as a mother who is convinced that the
jab caused her son's health problems. The programme was criticised in an open letter signed by 11
leaders in child health, who called it 'irresponsible and reckless'. They said worldwide use of MMR
over 30 years showed it to be safe and effective. And they warned that the drama could lead to a
measles epidemic by deterring more parents from letting children have the jab. The number of two-year-
olds having the vaccine in the UK has hit a new low of 82 per cent. Thousands of parents are
seeking single vaccines. The National Autistic Society said the drama highlighted the need for
further research.