Group Targets Doctor in Vaccine Controversy

A doctor at the centre of an MMR vaccine controversy in the UK said last night he was living in fear after being targeted by an extremist anti-abortion group. The home address and phone number of Geoff Carlin, a Lanarkshire GP who is accused of dismissing parents from his practice who refused to let their children have the combined MMR vaccine, was posted on a website and e-mailed to thousands of people across the world by the UK Life League, a newly formed pro-life group.

The organization, which was formed by Jim Dowson as an offshoot to his Precious Life Scotland group, insists parents should be given the choice to reject the vaccine, because the Rubella part of it was developed using cells from an aborted baby. Others believe the combined vaccine may cause autism.

The website encourages people to ring the doctor at his Banknock home and condemn him. Mr Dowson revealed last night that bad weather forced him to cancel a demonstration outside Dr Carlin's house, but he defended his decision to target the GP, who has a practice in Airdrie. He said: "We stand up for the right to parental choice. Our members are non-violent, so there will be no problem, but reaching him at home will be far more effective than picketing his surgery."

Dr Carlin called the police after learning of the organization's actions. He said: "This group shouldn't really have put my home details up on their website. That is unacceptable. I am a practicing Roman Catholic, and the Church has no objection to this vaccine."  He added: "My wife and I are both very concerned about this. I have already started receiving calls. Someone phoned last night saying he was from the Parental Truth campaign to argue about what was in the papers about me."

Politicians and pro-choice groups last night condemned the actions of the organization.

Nicola Sturgeon, SNP health spokeswoman, said: "That kind of targeting of individuals is irresponsible and wholly unacceptable. The SNP also advocates that parents should be able to choose to have the MMR vaccines separately, and I was very disturbed to read that this GP may have struck off patients, but this form of protest oversteps the mark."

Susan Stewart, director of the Family Planning Association Scotland, said: "The idea of Jim Dowson championing parental choice is ironic. He and his supporters are not a group who encourage young people to exercise their right to choice."

Inspector Chris McCallion, of Strathclyde Police, said he had investigated claims Dr Carlin's home would be picketed. He said: "We would be concerned for the safety of an individual who was being targeted, but it is important to balance that with people's right to protest." A spokesman for the Catholic church in Scotland confirmed that it had no objection to the Rubella vaccine being used.

 

Revaccination May Result in Reduced Antibody Response

According to a study from England, repeated immunization using meningococcal polysaccharide vaccines may actually reduce antibody response.

"Widespread use of meningococcal A and C polysaccharide (MACP) vaccines has raised concerns about induction of hyporesponsiveness to these polysaccharides," wrote R. Borrow and colleagues, Withington Hospital, in the journal Vaccine. "Immunological hyporesponsiveness to C polysaccharide has been clearly documented in infants, children, and adults but only limited data from Gambian children are available for A polysaccharide."

"We investigated whether a second dose of MACP, given six months after an initial dose affected the immunological response as measured by the serum bactericidal assay (SBA) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), to serogroup A meningococci in young adults (university students, n=36)," the authors said ("Reduced antibody response to revaccination with meningococcal serogroup A polysaccharide vaccine in adults," Vaccine, 2000;19(9-10):1129-1132).