IAN BRITCHFIELD,
Sir, - Your Editorial of March 4th highlights an apparent "discrepancy" between the 78 per cent of those surveyed in Dublin who would be happy to immunise with MMR, according to the MRBI survey, and the uptake level in the Eastern region which is only 59 per cent. Surely a logical explanation for the difference is that the survey asked a random sample of people, and not just people who currently have children of the relevant age.
It is very easy for somebody to express support for the vaccine if they have no children or if all their children are past the relevant age (after all, there is no conclusive evidence supporting the link with MMR). However, parents actually faced with the immunisation decision have a much more difficult decision to make. It is no wonder that the numbers actually immunising fall below those who claim that they would immunise when asked a purely theoretical question. - Yours, etc.,
IAN BRITCHFIELD,
Wicklow Town.