Take-up of MMR vaccine well below EU average
Malta’s take-up of the Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR) vaccine is10 per cent short of the EU average, Parliamentary Secretary Mario Galea, who is responsible for community care, said today.
Speaking at the Zejtun Primary School in a European Immunisation Week event, Mr Galea expressed concern at the figures.
The MMR is given in two doses – at 15 months and at eight years.
In 2007, there was 86 per cent take-up of the first dose and 82 per cent take-up of second dose. Take up in the EU was 96 per cent.
The government, Mr Galea said, was calling on parents to make sure their children were given this vaccine. It was only through vaccination that certain illnesses were eradicated completely, he stressed
He said that in 2002 the World Health Organisation had launched a campaign to have all children vaccinated with the MMR.
However, the campaign failed because of a fraudster who claimed the MMR had a potential link to autism in children. To this day the Maltese seemed to be still afraid of giving their children the MMR, he said
This year, the WHO is again working on a campaign for all children to be vaccinated with MMR.
The Maltese in general, he said, seemed to have a fear of vaccination. Malta, for example, had spent a lot of money on the H1N1 vaccine and 200,000 shots remained unused.
There was also a lower take up of the seasonal flu vaccine which left a surplus of around 10,000 shots. Mr Galea said he was very frustrated at this waste.
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David Farrugia
Apr 27th 2010, 20:20
@ S. Ferrito
You obviously have a right to express your opinion, however in the case of the MMR vaccine and autism it's no longer a question of expressing opinions, but rather a question of accepting facts that have been proven by "research done [sic] independently by people with no vested interests"...
In 2003 WHO issued an official report on the safety of the MMR vaccine - http://www.who.int/vaccine_safety/topics/mmr/mmr_autism/en/
If you really are interested in hearing "it from the horse's mouth before judging and coming to conclusions" you can also follow these links to the BMJ (probably the most respected journal within the medical community) - http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/340/feb02_4/c655 - and to the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) - http://www.aafp.org/online/en/home/publications/news/news-now/clinical-care-research/20100210lancet-retracts.html
Please the next time you wish to comment on medical - or other science-related - articles do try and get your facts right...
Darren Galea
Apr 27th 2010, 17:06
I doubt there is anything more pathetic than posting a news site as your source in a scientific argument.
What happened to peer reviewed medical journals?
M.Portelli
Apr 27th 2010, 16:34
Dear S Ferrito - Unfortunatly the disgracful situation with regards to vaccination in the Maltese Islands is due to people like you who selectivly pull out articles from the internet which belong to pseudoscience, inflamattory media and crank scientists. Recent, informed and in-depth studies on the MMR vaccine have shown that there is no association with autism and the MMR vaccine, the rate of children who take the vaccine and later develop autism is identical to those who do not take the vaccine. A special court in February of last year actually shut down such claims by fringe scientists - accepting the scientific studies carried out over the years.
You also cannot compare the H1N1 vaccine - which due to the nature of the pandemic was released in record time - to the MMR vaccine which went through all the necessary studies before release and has been successfully used for decades.
And with regard to Dr. Russell Blaylock who you quoted as saying that MMR is unsafe - I'd take what he says with a pinch of salt. He is well known for accepting fringe science, using that to promote his own books and seminars.
S. Ferrito
Apr 27th 2010, 17:14
Dear M Portelli
1. YOu said - "You also cannot compare the H1N1 vaccine - which due to the nature of the pandemic was released in record time - to the MMR vaccine which went through all the necessary studies before release and has been successfully used for decades"
I am not comapring anything..........in fact I separated the comments for that purpose!! SO PLEASE DO NOT PUT THINGS TO MY FINGERS WHICH I DID NOT TYPE!!!
" the disgracful situation with regards to vaccination in the Maltese Islands is due to people like you "
I have a right to express an opinion just as you did....there is no need for accusations!!
As with regards to what you said "A speical court........"
Maybe you need to hear it from the horse's mouth before judging and coming to conclusions
http://goldenhawkprojects.blogspot.com/
And if you so convincingly know of - "Recent, informed and in-depth studies on the MMR vaccine have shown that there is no association with autism and the MMR vaccine"......THAT IS - RESEARCH DONE INDEPENDENTLY OF PEOPLE WHO DO NOT HAVE VESTED INTERESTS..... I would like to have the links!!! I am open to opinions!!!!
M.Portelli
Apr 27th 2010, 19:55
1) Funny - I haven't yet come across a piece of writing where a skipped line means disassociation from the above paragraph. But if that was the case I apologise for that.
2) You are right you do have a right to opinion but that opinion has been proven to affect overall acceptance of the MMR vaccine worldwide. I did not accuse you, but the general body of people who perpetuate these lies.
3) Maybe you'd like to read some peer-reviewed aricles from journas with a high impact factor rather than biased web sites:
Mrożek-Budzyn Det al. Lack of Association Between Measles-Mumps-Rubella Vaccination and Autism in Children: A Case-Control Study. Pediatr Infect Dis J. 2010 Feb 10
Hornig M et al. Lack of association between measles virus vaccine and autism with enteropathy: a case-control study.PLoS One. 2008 Sep 4;3(9)
Baird G et al. No evidence for MMR-ASD link. Practitioner. 2008 Mar;252(1704):6.
Plus Lancet has revoked the original article from its files - nulling the reaserch.
And a final thing - journals insist on scientists indicating if they have conflicting interests - most papers on the subject do not list any.
Rachel Schooling
Apr 27th 2010, 15:46
I found this interesting as I have taken my daughter two times now for the vaccine and each time they have told me it is out of stock. I am now going to try my luck again next week - you know what they say - third time lucky!!
S Ferrito
Apr 27th 2010, 14:53
Maybe the Maltese had some good sense after all.
Flu jab fears grow as toddlers hospitalised http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/flu-jab-fears-grow-as-toddlers-hospitalised/story-e6frg6nf-1225857634415
Toddler Ashley Jade Epapara, 2, dies after flu vaccination http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/toddler-ashley-jade-epapara-2-dies-after-flu-vaccination/story-e6freon6-1225857803417
The MMR is VERY CONTROVERSIAL Vaccine...... ...it is amazing HOW ONLY HERE it seems that we do not HEAR ABOUT THESE CONTROVERSIES - WORTH READING
Vaccines, Neurodevelopment and Autism Spectrum Disorders. The Danger of Excessive Vaccination During Brain Development: The Case for a Link to Autism Spectrum Disorders http://www.russellblaylockmd.com/
(an excerpt below)
"Immunology, like nutrition, gets only scant attention in medical school and even less in residency training of physicians. Older doctors have no concept of the newer discoveries in immunology, especially neuroimmunology. The human immune system is one of the most complex systems in physiology and our studies indicate an even greater complexity is to be found. Despite a renewed interest in the immune system’s function in neonates and small children, much remains unknown concerning the immune effects of exposing infants and small children to such a large barrage of vaccine early in life. Yet, what we do know is that they react quite differently than adults and it can have devastating consequences on brain development and function"
J. Debono
Apr 27th 2010, 14:19
The best way to increase vaccine intake, is to inform the public, the dangers of contracting the disease.
For example people are afraid of autism and the MMR vaccines, of which there is no proof,
but surprisingly they are not afraid of the consequences of rubella during pregnancy, where there is almost a 100% chance of the newborn having one or multiple defects.
The same applies to influenza vaccine, where people are afraid of the vaccine, but apparently are happy to contract influenza with all its depilitating effects!!
Mark Xerri
Apr 27th 2010, 14:59
Excellent point Mr. Debono. Furthermore, there is no awareness on the number of diseases which were wiped out thanks to mass vaccination
Joss Galea
Apr 27th 2010, 14:11
Isn't this vaccine by law, or not?
Please choose the reason of your report below: