MMR ~ What YOU Say
In November 2005 we commissioned a survey of parents who bring their children to Northlands for the single vaccine alternative to MMR. A big thank you to all who completed and returned the survey forms.
The questions we asked were in two broad areas: how well parents rated our service (together with suggestions as to how it might be improved), and parents' views on the entire subject of MMR and the single vaccines alternative. As far as we are aware this is the first time such a survey has been conducted in the UK.
The overall approval rating for our services came in at 96.5%, with no single area scoring less than 91%. There's a few aspects we're looking at (although we assume the suggestion that we provide lollipops for parents as well as children was not entirely serious). Please click here for more details of how parents rated our service.
Parents Ray and
Rani Murphy talk about their safety concerns
whilst daughter Jasmine tries not to fall asleep
(Anglia News - photo used with permission)
And now for parents'
views about MMR, single vaccines, and the Government's handling of the subject.
Here's a summary of the comments we received:
> Asked what initially persuaded parents to consider single vaccines instead of MMR, the most common answer (by an overwhelming majority), was Tony Blair's refusal to say whether or not his son Leo had received MMR. And, as you'll see in Vaccinations FAQs, the dramatic fall in MMR uptake now poses real risks of epidemics.
> Asked whether parents believe Government assurances that MMR is safe, the answer was 100% 'no', and the two most common reasons were that the Government only quotes research that favours its view (as one respondent put it 'the Government plays with loaded dice'), and that the Government refuses to support any truly independent NEW research. More on this in Vaccinations FAQs.
> Asked whether parents had been pressured by NHS staff into accepting MMR, we received a mixed response. Some had experienced pressure, but in more than a few cases parents formed the impression that this was merely 'going through the motions'. Others reported that their GPs had been actively sympathetic to parents' desire for the single vaccinations.
> Asked why parents think the Government makes it so difficult to obtain single vaccinations on the NHS, almost all replied that it was a combination of cost and a desire not to 'lose face'.
> Asked to name the single most important factor in parents' decision to opt for single vaccinations, the almost unanimous response was the concern that if their child went on to develop autism, inflammatory bowel disease or other conditions associated with MMR, they would blame themselves.
The overall conclusion is that parents who opt for single vaccinations are seriously concerned by both Tony Blair's silence and the lack of independent research. They feel that, by opting for single vaccinations, they are 'playing safe' with their children's health.
Please click here to read a selection of the comments parents made.
Your Child ~ Your Choice