The chief medical officer, Liam Donaldson, called together medical organisations, including the Royal College of Nursing and the British Medical Association, to express their confidence in the vaccination in the face of claims that it could be linked to bowel disease and autism in certain susceptible children.
The three-year controversy over the MMR jab, given to babies at 18 months and followed by a pre-school booster, has surfaced again with a paper written by Andrew Wakefield from the inflammatory bowel disease study group at the Royal Free Hospital in London and a colleague.
In February 1998 Dr Wakefield and colleagues published papers in the Lancet describ ing a link between the live measles virus used in the vaccine, damage to the gut and autism. In the latest paper, to be published in the journal Adverse Drug Reactions, Dr Wakefield questions the clinical trials assessing the safety of the combined MMR vaccine before it was introduced in Britain in 1988.
He argues that the trials were not adequate and that evidence has been ignored that shows an interaction between the live viruses that go to make up the combined MMR. Children should be vaccinated against measles, but the government should make separate vaccines available.
Public health officials fear loss of confidence in the vaccination could lead to a fatal measles outbreak, as happened last year in Ireland and the Netherlands. Vaccination rates have dropped to 75% in some places - notably parts of London. The World Health Organisation says a 95% rate is desirable to prevent outbreaks.
The Department of Health stepped up the offensive against Dr Wakefield's theories yesterday with details of a four-week national advertising campaign, due to start in February and aimed at mothers of young children. A 20-minute information video will be made available in GP surgeries and libraries.
GPs, practice nurses and health visitors, some of whom have shown doubts about MMR, will also be targeted -30,000 information packs will be sent out, there will be "advertorials" in the medical press and seminars held around the country.
"We have had discussions today with all of the major health organisations in this country about the MMR vaccination programme," said Professor Donaldson. "Every single one of them agrees that the MMR vaccine is the safest and best way to protect children against measles, mumps and rubella.
"MMR is used successfully in over 30 countries and is the vaccine recommended by the World Health Organisation. On each occasion that these health scares are raised they have been thoroughly examined and on each occasion MMR has been given a clean bill of health."
He said the publicity campaign was intended to ensure people were given factual information about the vaccine. "Britain's record on childhood immunisation is envied around the world - we should not allow it to be undermined by bad science.
"Whenever there is a health scare, parents are left confused. They should be left in no doubt after today's summit that the advice from doctors, nurses and every major health organisation is that they should have their child vaccinated with MMR."
The professional institutions issued a statement confirming this was their view. "The paper adds little to current knowledge. Our professional confidence in the MMR vaccine, its safety and effectiveness remains fully justified - there is a large body of evidence showing that the combined vaccine is highly effective and serious side effects are uncommon."
