What "Horizon" 18-th episode about
No public health issue of recent years has attracted such heated debate as the question of whether the MMR vaccine can cause autism. The MMR jab combines three childhood vaccines, against measles, mumps and rubella, into one injection, which is first given to children at around 12-18 months. It has virtually eradicated these diseases from the UK, and throughout the world it has saved hundreds of lives. Recent years, however, have seen the rates of MMR vaccination decline. In some areas of the UK, only 60% of children are receiving MMR. This decline has already let to a rise in the number of measles infections, and there are fears of an epidemic outbreak. The reason for all the concern over MMR is the suggestion that the vaccine might in fact be damaging some of the children it was supposed to protect.
Episode number: 18
Episode name: "Does The MMR Jab Cause Autism"
Episode release date: 8 april 2006 at 21:00
Status: aired
Last season episode