First, a few facts:

In June 2003 the press started publishing stories about the so-called "US research" that claimed "... a significant number of children suffered an abnormal response to the measles component of the combined [MMR] jab". The research came from two doctors from the Utah State University, one of which is an associate professor in biology, Dr. Singh.

In the United States, it is just general knowledge that many Mormons live in Utah. I don't think many Americans will dispute that statement. Some universities are known to attract people of a particular faith. This is true for Christianity, Judaism, and others. The Utah State University attracts a lot of Mormons. At the time of this writing, I ran a search on the Utah State University Web Site for the word "mormon". I was given more than 1,000 documents. In fact, in May 2002, about 6% of the 5,560 searches executed on a Utah State University Web site included the word "mormon". Similar numbers of searches were executed for keywords "abortion" and "church".

The First Presidency (The First Presidency is the governing body and highest ranking quorum in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) has said, "Abortion must be considered one of the most revolting and sinful practices in this day." (2)

We know that the Rubella component of the MMR II vaccine (MERUVAX II) was propagated in WI-38 human diploid lung fibroblasts. (The WI-38 cell line was developed in July 1962 from lung tissue taken from a therapeutically aborted fetus of about 3 months gestational age.) See the product insert.

The following map published by the U.S. Center for Disease Control illustrates the estimated vaccination coverage per U.S. State with one or more doses of the MMR vaccine. The State of Utah is at 88% which is one of the lowest:

Given the above information, you can make your own conclusions about MMR research that is released by the Utah State University.

I read several articles in the press that reprinted an article from 24 June 2003 in The Western Mail that said, "The research, by Dr. Vijendra Singh and Dr. Ryan Jensen, of Utah State University, into samples from 52 autistic children who had been vaccinated with MMR, found that measles antibodies - a sign of an immune reaction to the measles virus - were significantly greater in this group than amoung the non-autistic children studied... More than 80 percent of the autistic children had these antibodies" However after reading this article I was confused because I previously read in a BBC article dated 9 August 2002 titled, "Experts Reject Latest MMR Research" that said, "Dr. Vijendra Singh and colleagues of Utah State University in Logan analysed blood samples from 125 autistc children and 92 children who did not have the developmental disorder."

I decided to contact Dr. Singh myself, and ask him exactly how many blood samples he analysed. His reply: "The study included 88 autistic children, 32 normal children (non-autistic children), and 15 siblings of autistic children (non-autistic children)."

He concluded by saying that: "More than 80 of the autistic children had antibodies to a unique protein of measles virus but these antibodies were absent in 30 normal children and 15 normal siblings involved in the study."

According to the National Autistic Society, Autism affects nearly 500,000 people in the United Kingdom alone. Dr. Singh studied only 88 autistic children. I can not see a link: About 90% of the autistic children he studied, and about 4% of the normal children he studied, had antibodies to a unique protein of the measles virus. However Dr. Singh studied twice as many autistic children, and the total population of the study was only 135 children. And after all that is said, I am still wondering what is the link between antibodies to a unique protein of the measles virus in the gut of both autistic and non-autistic children, and the autistic children's autism? I'm not a medical doctor and look at the numbers from a statistical point of view, but here's what medical professionals say about Dr. Singh's research:

According to the 9 August 2002 BBC article titled, "Experts Reject Latest MMR Research", professor Peter Lachmann, Emeritus professor of immunology at Cambridge University, said regarding Dr. Singh's so-called research, "There is a tremendous logical gap in this research."

In the same BBC article, Dr. Liz Miller, head of the immunisation division of the Public Health Laboratory Service said regarding Dr. Singh's so-called research, "There is no data in this paper that implicates MMR vaccine as a cause of autism nor that challenges the robust body of evidence on the safety of the vaccine".

"The evidence of the possibility of coming to any harm from the measles vaccine is so small that anyone who doesn't have their child vaccinated against measles is foolish."

In a statement from the Public Health Laboratory Service regarding Dr. Singh's so-called research, "This claim by the authors that they have identified abnormal measles-mumps-rubella antibodies in autistic children is not substantiated by the data in the paper. No abnormal virus-specific antibodies have been demostrated" The data that they show as evidence that this component is one particular antigen of the measles virus is not credible."

The Western Mail on Dr. Singh's research says, "The findings, which are published in the journal Pediatric Neurology, are the result of the pair's theory that, as viruses are common trigger agents for auto-immune diseases, where the human body attacks itself, autism could involve a virus-induced auto-immune response which in turn leads to autism."

What the article does not say, and what the press does not make you aware of, is that if everyone in Great Britain refuses the measles vaccine, then there will be a measles epidemic, in which case it is very likely that these same children will be exposed to measles anyway, and if it is true that the children's measles-induced auto-immune response led them to autism, it is also likely to occur by being exposed to it during a measles epidemic.

You can argue as my daughter's mother has done, "I think the safest thing for my child is to be an unvaccinated child in a society of vaccinated children. I am aware that this may seem selfish." The problem with this argument is that if everyone is that selfish then there will be a measles epidemic. In fact, the number of children not being immunised with the MMR vaccine has risen from one in ten in 2001 to one in five last year. At the same time annual measles cases have tripled to 310.

A recent report by the British Medical Association said there was a "real danger" of up to 90 children a year dying from measles. More than 92 per cent of the population must be immunised to prevent a measles epidemic.

One comment from Dr. Singh however, does make sense, "Right on the manufacturer's information sheet packed with the dosage vial is a warning that says do not give the vaccine to immune-compromised or immune-suppressed individuals," said Utah State biologist Vijendra Singh, a leading researcher on autism. "Yet the vaccines are now given without any testing or thought of it. We should be doing immune system testing before all vaccinations. It would only cost a few million dollars, and we could identify the individuals who should not be given shots."

In an article published by the Sunday Herald, a father was quoted as saying, "These scientists are not doing this because they don't like vaccines, they are doing this because their scientific research is leading them in this direction. This has got to be an extremely important finding. The scientific community has to respond positively." What is not mentioned in this article is that religious organizations spend money and time on causes that support and advance their own beliefs.

SUMMARY

Keep in mind that the vast majority of scientists stand behind the safety of the combined measles, mumps and rubella vaccine, but the tendency of reporters to give equal space to both sides of the debate make many people incorrectly think there is equal evidence for each view.

This author believes the article published by Annamari Patja (1) which included a study of 3 million vaccine doses, is reliable: "No case of inflammatory bowel disease or autism was detected during this long follow-up study comprising 3 million vaccine doses. This finding is important because were there an association with MMR vaccination after such a short interval as suggested (45),(46), this prospective study design would undoubtedly have disclosed at least some cases."

"Vaccination against measles, mumps and rubella is safe." Conclusions of Patja et al, Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal 2000; 19:1127 looked at immunisation in 1.8 million individuals and consumption of almost 3 million vaccine dosages. Comprehensive analysis of the reported adverse reactions established that serious events causally related to MMR vaccine are rare and greatly outweighed by the risk of natural MMR disease.

Concerned parents may wish to consider the following tests:

1. Request a blood mercury test from your physician before becoming pregnant. Women with a high blood mercury level who are planning to start a family may decide to postpone pregnancy for a few months until levels drop; often this occurs over a three to six month time. Also, please read: Information About Mercury in Fish

2. Request an immune system test for your child before all vaccinations.

REFERENCES

¹ Annamari Patja, "Serious adverse events after measles-mumps-rubella vaccination during a fourteen-year prospective follow-up", The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal, Vol 19, No. 12, December 2000; pp. 1133.

² First Presidency (Spencer W. Kimball, N. Eldon Tanner, Marion G. Romney), Priesthood Bulletin, Salt Lake City, Utah: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Feb. 1973, p. 1-2.

⁴⁵ Wakefield AJ, Murch SH, Anthony A, et al. Ileal-lymphoid nodular hyperplasia, non-specific colitis, and pervasive developmental disorder in children. Lancet 1998; 351:637-41.

⁴⁶ Thompson NP, Montgomery SM, Pounder RE, Wakefield AJ. Is measles vaccination a risk factor for inflammatory bowel disease? Lancet 1995; 345:1071-4.