11 February 2010
Roger Whitwam
/ Cornwall & Isles of Scilly Primary Care Trust
Sedgemoor Centre
Priory Road
ST AUSTELL
Cornwall
PL25 5AS
Tel: 01726 627821
email:
Dear Mr Whitwam
YOUR QUESTION UNDER FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ABOUT IMMUNISATION
Thank you for your email of 5 February in which you asked about freedom of choice on matters related to immunisation. You say you are nervous about the effects on your children of a barrage of potent inoculations adversely affecting their immune system. You ask: Why can’t you have them done separately?
Our response is as follows: We assume that you are referring to MMR. We have attached some information that is readily available on the NHS immunisation website and via the Department of Health website.
The response tothe question 'why can't I have them done separately' is contained within the attached information. Single antigen vaccines are not licensed for use within the NHS nor are they recommended as MMR is a perfectly safe and effective vaccine. Links between MMR, autism and bowel disease are unfounded and in fact, MMR appears to have a much lower incidence of anaphylactic reactions than single dose vaccine. Surveillance data from NHS programmes is much more robust than from private practice and we are able to demonstrate a very sound evidence base for the safety and efficacy of MMR.
The information supplied to you continues to be protected by the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. You are free to use it for your own purposes, including any non-commercial research you are doing and for the purposes of news reporting. Any other re-use, for example commercial publication, would require the permission of the copyright holder. Most documents supplied by Cornwall & Isles of Scilly Primary Care Trust will have been produced by local officials and will be our copyright. Information you receive which is not subject to our copyright continues to be protected by the copyright of the person, or organisation, from which the information originated. You must ensure that you gain their permission before reproducing any third party information.
If you are dissatisfied with the way in which we have dealt with your request you may ask us to review our decisions in which case you should write to Steve Moore, Acting Chief Executive, Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Primary Care Trust, Peninsula House, Kingsmill Road, Tamar View Industrial Estate, Saltash, Cornwall PL15 6LE.
If you do ask us to review your request and you remain dissatisfied with our response you may complain to the Information Commissioner who may be contacted at The Office of the Information Commissioner, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF.
Yours sincerely
John Murphy
Freedom of Information team
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