Didcot mother warns other mums to be careful with MMR vaccine (From The Oxford Times)

Didcot mother warns other mums to be careful with MMR vaccine

8:01am Tuesday 13th October 2009

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A MOTHER who claims her son’s autism was worsened by the MMR vaccination has warned parents to think carefully about having the jab.

Rosemary Northing, 26, of Didcot, said she was told by health professionals to grieve for the child she had “lost” when her son was diagnosed with autism in July last year.

Three-year-old Kaylan Northing had the combined measles, mumps and rubella vaccination in May 2007, but his family said he lost the ability to speak and move properly afterwards.

Several years ago, some parents delayed their child’s MMR immunisation or refused to allow their children to have the vaccination after stories emerged linking MMR with autism. However, experts found no credible scientific evidence for such a link.

Mrs Northing, a mother of two, of Tyburn Glen, Didcot, warned parents to consider their children’s medical history and seek independent advice before proceeding with the vaccine.

She said: “This is what I truly believe and I’ve spoken to a lot of families and experts about it. I believe Kaylan was born with the genetic pre-disposition for autism and the vaccination exacerbated the symptoms of autism.

“I regret giving him the MMR vaccine because I don’t think he was strong enough to handle the vaccination because of his poor immune system, which he was born with.

“He probably would still be autistic, but maybe he would have been slightly higher on the spectrum.”

She and her husband Barry decided not to give their second child, one-year-old daughter Amber, the MMR vaccine.

Mrs Northing added: “Kaylan used to be able to say mum, dad, fish and dog — then he had the MMR and he lost everything. Then he started having difficulty walking.

“He was affected pretty much straightaway — within hours.

“He became unresponsive when I called his name.”

Mrs Northing sought advice after her health visitor became concerned about her son. And after months of tests, he was diagnosed with autism.

She said: “He is non-verbal and he has got limited communication. You feel like you’ve lost part of your child. We were told by some professionals to grieve for the child we had.

“But despite everything, he’s really happy and he gives amazing cuddles. Maybe one day he will be able to say ‘mum’ or ‘dad’ again.”

Didcot fundraisers, The Thong Rangers, recently raised more than £2,000 to help Kaylan’s family pay for special equipment and ongoing treatment.

Oxfordshire Primary Care Trust spokesman Tom Aubrey-Fletcher said: “People should not be concerned about autism and MMR. Autism was well known long before MMR was used in this country.

“Although autism is recognised more often now than in the past, the increases were going on before MMR was introduced.

“Parents often notice signs of autism in children after their first birthday, and MMR is usually given when children are 12 to 15 months old, so it's possible to see how people might think that there is a link with MMR. But, there is no evidence, other than coincidence, to link MMR with autism.”

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