Compulsory MMR vaccination not the best option

Former British Medical Association chair Sir Sandy Macara is set to table a motion at the association's conference later this month, calling for compulsory immunisation if children are to attend school.

But Sally Gimson, director of communications at the Family and Parenting Institute, said: "It may be a better idea to concentrate efforts on encouraging more parents to immunise their children. Health visitors are in a good position to do this but they are now in decline and are not being used universally as they should be."

Macara made his comments as concerns grow over serious measles outbreaks. The number of cases rose by 77 per cent in England and Wales from 2005 to 2006, according to Health Protection Agency figures, while Wales is currently experiencing its biggest outbreak of measles in 20 years.

A major decline in immunisation rates between 2000 and 2004 has been attributed to a lack of public confidence in MMR after research pointed to links with autism and Crohn's disease.

Dr David Elliman, a consultant community paediatrician and member of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, said it could be counter-productive to make the MMR vaccination compulsory.

"It could raise quite a bit of anger in some people if they felt they had to do it because the law says so," he said.

A Department of Health spokesman said the rise in measles cases showed the importance of the MMR.

He added that the department's strategy was "to maintain a voluntary immunisation system and invest efforts in educating parents about the benefits of vaccination and dispelling myths about vaccine safety".