The MMR vaccine that
was initially used for children in the UK’s national programme launched
in 1988 contained a particular strain of mumps, called Urabe. It was blamed
for the deaths of several children after being withdrawn by the department
of health in 1992.
Since we posted this report on March 5, the department
of health has contacted us to point out that it insists that no MMR has caused
any deaths.
Previously confidential Whitehall documents, re-leased under the freedom
of information act (FOIA), show how government health officials and experts
gradually learnt from 1987 of the dangers of Urabe MMR, which causes encephalitis-type
conditions, including meningitis, in some cases.
These conditions – which variously involve swelling of the brain
or of the lining of the brain or spinal chord – can lead to brain damage,
deafness or even death.
The documents – minutes of Whitehall committ-ees that considered
the introduction of the nationwide MMR programme – show that several
months before the launch of the triple-vaccine in October 1988 in the UK,
officials were made aware of problems in three countries: America, Sweden
and Canada. We have established that the data from Canada related specifically
to Urabe MMR, while the figures from America and Sweden concerned the form
of MMR that replaced it in the UK in 1992.
In February 1988, members of the government’s MMR working party
read, what the minutes describe as, “a report of cases of mumps encephalitis
which had been associated with MMR vaccine containing the Urabe strain of
the mumps virus” in Canada, which had led authorities there to stop
using Urabe MMR.
The documents show that, in each instance, the committees concluded
that the statistical risk from Urabe MMR was low.
The UK went ahead with its nationwide MMR programme in which 85% of
the triple-vaccines contained Urabe. MMR combines mild forms of three viruses
to vaccinate children against measles, mumps and rubella.
The warnings from overseas continued, but it took the UK government
until 1992 to stop using Urabe MMR. Officials replaced it with MMR II, which,
instead of Urabe, has the Jeryl Lynn strain of mumps. The risk of encephalitis-type
conditions associated with Jeryl Lynn MMR is much lower than with Urabe MMR.
Parents of children who suffered encephalitis-type conditions soon
after receiving Urabe MMR between 1988 and 1992 have reacted angrily to the
revelations.
Armed with the disclosures, one mother wrote to the chief medical officer,
Sir Liam Donaldson, challenging him over the UK’s use of Urabe MMR despite
the known risks.
She received two replies. Professor Kent Woods, chief executive officer
of the medicines and healthcare products regulatory agency, confirmed that
the UK authorities had been aware of “sporadic cases” in Canada.
However, he said, the risk of meningo-encephalitis from Urabe MMR was lower
than the risk of the same condition resulting from “wild-type mumps
virus”.
Urabe MMR was withdrawn “following reports of generally mild
transient meningitis caused by the mumps vaccine virus in some children who
recently received the Urabe mumps vaccine containing products.”
And Donaldson replied, saying: “As soon as the department of
health had clear evidence that there was a risk with Urabe-containing MMR
and that there was no such associated risk with a different strain of mumps
virus (the Jeryl Lynn strain) used in an alternative MMR vaccine, the department
moved quickly to discontinue use.”
The Liberal Democrats' shadow health secretary, Norman Lamb, MP for
North Norfolk, said that he would be pressing the department of health on
why the warnings were dismissed.
The government insists that it acted swiftly as soon as it became aware
of the dangers of Urabe MMR in September 1992.
The department of health, asked why it used Urabe MMR in 1988, instead
of MMRII, when it knew of the risk of adverse reactions, and why it took until
1992 to replace Urabe MMR, said: “The UK investigated the evidence and
acted promptly when this problem with Urabe strain of mumps vaccine was identified.
“On the basis of information obtained in studies, the UK was
in a position to make an informed decision on whether to continue using the
Urabe vaccine, as there was an alternative vaccine strain, called Jeryl Lynn,
which did not appear to have the same risk.
“The MMR vaccines that contained the Urabe mumps vaccine strain
were, therefore, no longer supplied to the NHS in this country from September
1992.
“Others countries continued to use these brands after the department
of health decided to discontinue supply of them to the NHS. The UK's decision
influenced other European countries, many of which followed suit.
“In 1992, the committee on safety of medicine considered all
of the evidence and concluded that the benefits of vaccinating with Urabe
mumps strain vaccines still outweighed the risks.”
Another version of this article first appeared in The Daily Telegraph.
The minutes were obtained by the FOIA Centre acting on behalf of one of the
parents of a child in a group bringing litigation at the high court against
various pharmaceutical companies over MMR.
Comment on this article
Revealed:
how Whitehall dismissed MMR alarms
FOIA
Centre news archive: the MMR files
How
FOIA casts light on health issues
Comments on MMR (13)
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