LOTHAR LUKEN,
Sir, - In his article on the merits or otherwise of the MMR vaccination, Dick Ahlstrom admits to a risk for the child either way. Then he claims the odds are highly in favour of vaccination, because the 1 in 10,000 or even 100,000 for autism with MMR seems lower than the 1 in 1,500 chance of dying from measles without it. The latter figure, however, only applies to those who actually contract the virus and so the figure should be multiplied by the likelihood of that happening.
Unless Mr Ahlstrom can show the resulting figure to be smaller than 1 in 100,000, he will have to shoulder the responsibility for having supplied parents with a pretty disastrous gambling tip as regards their children's health. - Yours, etc.,
LOTHAR LUKEN,
Bantry,
Co Cork.
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Sir, - I have just read the report that British scientists have given assurances that MMR is safe. Most reassuring, I will sleep safer knowing this, as I did after the assurances regarding BSE, Sellafield etc. - Yours, etc.,
JOHN MURPHY,
Summerhill Road,
Dunboyne,
Co Meath.