Has MMR vaccine uptake in the UK dropped from 93% to 75%; only 50% in London?

[salvorhardin]

A question for our UK sceptics... Can you verify Ben Goldacre's assertion here:

MMR vaccine uptake has dropped from 93% to around 75%, and to below 50% in London.
http://www.badscience.net/2009/02/legal-chill-from-lbc-973-over-jeni-barnetts-mmr-scaremongering

And I guess for our infectious disease experts here... What percentage of the UK population needs to be vaccinated so the other percentage enjoys herd immunity? Of the London population?

It seems to me that if these numbers are right, then we should start, or already be, seeing an explosion in measles, mumps and rubella in the UK. While I do know there have been reports of increased incidences of these diseases, it's nowhere near what I'd expect if vaccination levels were this low.

[TZ]

1. You know, I'm not sure

Epidemiology is NOT my specialty. But if no one answers, I will ask at work tomorrow. I'm sure there is someone there who would know...:)

[mr blur]

2. BBC has a story here:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7872541.stm

<snip>
Professor David Salisbury, director of immunisation at the Department of Health, said it was "irresponsible" for parents not to have their children vaccinated.

He said: "I think it's irrational, I think it's putting children's lives at risk. I can see no shred of benefit.

"There is no evidence that having vaccines separately is better. There are good reasons why it's worse."

Professor Steve Field, chairman of the Royal College of GPs, said confidence in the MMR vaccine was returning but it was vital that parents made sure all their children had received both doses.

"Measles is a sinister and nasty illness and shouldn't be taken lightly."
<snip>

[muriel_volestrangler]

3. And, pulling the relevant numbers from that article:

"More than 600 of the 2008 measles cases occurred in London, where uptake of the vaccine for MMR - measles, mumps and rubella - is particularly low.
...
Across the UK, 84.5% of two year olds have been immunised with their first dose of MMR.

But by age five, when children are recommended to have a second dose, the latest uptake figures are 77.9%."

[salvorhardin]

5. Good gawd

I trust Ben Goldacre, but those numbers seemed unreal. I had no idea it was this bad.

[trotsky]

4. If nothing else, the UK might end up being a large-scale case study.

Thanks, Andrew Wakefield! Your legacy will be suffering, disfigurement, and death!

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

6. And ironically, rubella is a recognized cause of autism.

[LeftishBrit]

7. I believe that prenatal rubella is associated with something from a 4% to 8% risk of autism.