Although the overwhelming majority of research shows that there is no link between autism and the MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) vaccine, many parents remain unconvinced. As an article on p 605 of this week's BMJ suggests, repeated media association of MMR and autism has influenced people's understanding of the issues. And as a letter on p 597 shows, some practitioners of complementary medicine, to whom many people turn when they feel let down by mainstream health care, are advising against the MMR vaccination.
In a bid to seize back the initiative, last week the Department of Health launched a website designed to inform parents about MMR. MMR: The Facts (www.mmrthefacts.nhs.uk) sets out a wide range of information, from news stories to clinical research. It is an easy to use and attractively designed site, but can also be viewed in a text only format, ready for printing.
The site is divided into five main sections: “Your Questions Answered”; an MMR library with useful web links and searchable resources; MMR basics; an interactive world map of MMR vaccination coverage, where visitors can see how measles affects children worldwide and read about the World Health Organization's and Unicef's global measles plan; and a section with information about those in charge of the site. If parents have a question that is not already answered by the site, they can pose it to an expert panel.
The Department of Health has another site devoted to MMR (www.doh.gov.uk/mmr), which takes a more academic approach to the history and science of MMR. The site provides an overview of all the major research.