There has been a great deal of concern from parents about allowing their children to have the combined MMR vaccine. As a doctor and a parent, Dr Parry remains convinced of its safety, but sympathises with parents who are undecided about the best course of action for their children.

It is estimated that if just 15% of the population had no immunity to these diseases there would be a very real possibility of an epidemic. Because some parents’ fears over the safety of the MMR vaccine cause them to opt for no vaccination at all, our clinic offers the alternative of single vaccinations for measles, mumps and rubella.

We always ask parents to fully discuss the MMR vaccine with their GP or Health Visitor before contacting our clinic, as they may be able to allay any concerns.

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Because single vaccines are given individually, immunity takes longer to acquire. We consider this to be a relatively small risk, which is minimised by having the three vaccinations close together. We recommend an interval of three months.

Some parents choose single vaccines because they believe that multiple vaccinations can ‘overload’ the child’s immune system. The experience of our clinic is that combined vaccinations (either those included in the MMR immunisation or other vaccines) are almost always administered without any adverse effects.

The single vaccines we use for measles and mumps do contain strains likely to produce immunity in this country.

We ensure that our vaccines are transported and stored in the best possible conditions so that their effectiveness is not compromised.

Although single vaccines do not have a product licence for the UK they can be imported if the physician considers them to be ‘clinically indicated’. This ruling allows us to operate completely within the guidelines for use of single vaccines.

For more detailed information please visit www.mmrsinglevaccine.co.uk