A SINGLE MMR VACCINE SERVICE IN
offering childhood vaccines
www.mmrbirmingham.org.uk
1)
About our service
2)
Mumps Single Vaccine Supply Update
3)
Remember the risk of Measles Infection
4) Right to Single Vaccine:
Petition the Government
1)
About our service
Dear Parents
This service seeks to give parents informed choice in the
difficult decisions you have to make in trying to prevent your child from
getting measles, mumps and rubella. We
know you want the best for your child.
We realise that you recognise the general importance of childhood
immunisations, but have been concerned about the reported risks of the combined
MMR vaccine.
We are able to offer a single measles, mumps and rubella
vaccination schedule (subject to vaccine availability)
FOR THE LATEST INFORMATION ON MUMPS VACCINE SEE
BELOW
Along with the majority of doctors, health visitors and
nurses who deal with immunisation issues, we support the continued use of the
combined MMR vaccine. However, we
realise that the publicity about it has been such that some parents do not wish
to accept the combined vaccine and are prepared to pay for the option to have
single vaccines. We support your right to have this choice.
Single measles, mumps and rubella vaccines are currently
not manufactured in
There is no longer any requirement which determines the
order in which the vaccines should be given. There is a world wide shortage of
mumps vaccine and supplies of this vaccine therefore maybe intermittent. There
has to be a minimal interval of 3 weeks between each vaccine and so we suggest
that approximately a month between each vaccine is reasonable, depending on the
practicalities of vaccine and appointment availability.
It is important to realise that MMR vaccines, whether
given singly or with the combined preparation, need to be given twice in
childhood to ensure adequate protection into adult life. Currently the second combined MMR vaccine is
given between the ages of 3 and 5.
However the minimum required interval between the two is only 3
months.
Before deciding that you wish to have single vaccines
against measles, mumps and rubella, we would encourage you to read the
information available on the Department of Health website (www.doh.gov.uk/mmr.htm).
Appointments for the Single Vaccine Programme can be made
by contacting the Health Screening Department on 0121 440 8402.
The Cost
You will be asked to pay for each vaccination by cash or
cheque when it is given.
Rubella - £100 Measles
- £100 Mumps Not available
Prices correct as at May 2010
Vaccinations will be given at a medical centre in
Edgbaston - The Karis Medical Centre, Waterworks Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham
B16 9AL (this is near Five Ways and just off the Hagley Road at Monument Road).
The Department of Health places an obligation on General
Practitioners to encourage children to be immunised. This involves submitting
information about the immunisations that your child has been given. We will
enter all the relevant details of the single vaccines in your “Red Book”. We
would ask you to pass this information on to your G.P. when each course has
been completed.
(This Vaccine service is not intended for those who are
already registered with the Karis Medical Centre, Edgbaston for NHS medical
care)
2) Mumps
Single Vaccine Supply Update
May 2010
Unfortunately the single mumps vaccine is not currently
available in
The long standing and respected manufacturer MERCK
The British Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory
Agency (MHRA) have a statutory responsibility to monitor this situation.
The MHRA Report for Unlicensed Medicines, June 2009
stated:
Merck Mumpsvax is
unavailable due to temporary suspension of manufacture.
Queries have been
received concerning the acceptability of the Lenin-Zagreb strain of mumps virus
and of the Czech product Pavivac. Currently, these products remain unacceptable
and objections will be raised to import. There are concerns that the
Lenin-Zagreb strain of mumps vaccine may be associated with aseptic meningitis
and, as some studies suggest there could be some risk for the Lenin-Zagreb
strain product, the MHRA wishes to remain cautious and continue to object to
importation, particularly as the available Jeryl Lynn MMR vaccines do not carry
this risk.
In November 2009 the MHRA considered another mumps vaccine
- the Sii single Mumps vaccine
manufactured by the Serum Institute in
Following recent interest in importation of this unlicensed vaccine, the
evidence made available to the MHRA by prospective importers was assessed by an
independent expert who recommended that the MHRA should continue to object to
import of this strain of mumps vaccine on safety grounds. In view of the
potential impact of shortages caused by non-availability of Merck Mumpsvax, in
October 2009 the MHRA sought further advice from the Commission on Human
Medicines (CHM). The CHM considered evidence and correspondence from
prospective importers as well as the previous expert advice.
The CHM advised that the MHRA should continue to object to importation of
L-Zagreb strain mumps vaccines on safety grounds.
The MHRA has
subsequently assessed the production facilities in the Serum Institute in
It is also
theoretically possible that another manufacturer might produce the Jeryl Lynn
mumps strain which formed the vaccine Mumpsvax made previously by Merck.
It therefore remains
a possibility that a single mumps vaccine will be again be available in Britain
at some point in the future, but no definite time scale can be given regarding
this.
3) Remember
the risk of Measles Infection
Due to the fall in
the uptake of vaccination against measles (which remains below the levels required
to reach “herd immunity”) the possibility of becoming seriously ill with
measles remains a real risk (there were over 1100 notified cases of measles in
Single vaccination
against measles remains a reliable option for protection against measles for
those families who do not wish to have the combined MMR vaccine.
4) Right
to Single Vaccine:
Petition
the Government
There is currently
a formal petition process that allows you to express your views on single
vaccines to the Prime Minister. If you wish to use this facility you can do so
by October 30th 2010 on the weblink:
http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/Single-vaccines/