DOCTORS and medical suppliers are gearing up for a surge in demand for single vaccines following the introduction of the five-in-one jab for babies.

Most doctors welcome the jab as an improvement on previous inoculations because it dispenses with the use of mercury and live polio cultures taken orally.

However, many parents have doubts about the use of multiple inoculations because of fears of a link between the triple jab for measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) and autism, despite much research evidence to the contrary.

Private clinics and surgeries which already offer single measles, mumps and rubella vaccinations are now preparing to offer the components of the five-in-one jab individually.

Robert Key, marketing manager of private health supplier Direct Health 2000, which has clinics in London, the West Country, Wales and the Midlands, said: “I imagine there will be a big increase in the numbers of parents (coming to us). That’s what happened with MMR.”

He said that even when the original study suggesting a link between MMR and autism was discredited, many parents continued to ask about single vaccinations.

Kiren Ali, of Healthchoice UK in Kent, said: “We are looking to provide more single vaccines. We’ve had inquiries from parents who are after the singles for the five-in-one already.” The WellCare Private General Practice said: “We haven’t sourced the vaccines yet, but we are looking into it.”

Ann Coote, of Justice Awareness and Basic Support (Jabs), a patients’ group providing advice on immunisations, welcomed the provision of an alternative.

She said that many parents had been put off getting their children immunised through fear of multiple vaccinations so giving them a choice would ensure more people were protected against the diseases.“GPs on the NHS should be allowed to offer single vaccinations,” she said. “That would stop a lot of patients who can’t afford to go private saying they won’t get their children vaccinated at all.”

However, she said that it would take much longer for children to be fully immunised against a range of childhood killers if they were given single vaccinations.

The existing immunisation programme against diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, Hib and polio provides an oral dose of polio vaccine and a four-in-one jab. Mrs Coote said that some parents have already opted against the four-in-one jab, preferring to get single vaccinations privately.

The Department of Health said that the new multiple jab, to be introduced for babies next month and personally backed by Tony Blair, the Prime Minister, was safer than existing immunisations.

The department said: “It is the safest form of vaccination. If parents decide to go down another route then they are putting their children at risk.There will be a time delay between individual jabs which leaves children more susceptible to getting these diseases which can be fatal.

“This is a safe vaccine and we are putting children’s safety first. We would stress that parents should listen to the advice from the medical profession and make sure they get the vaccine . . . there hasn’t been anyone with a medical qualification coming out against the new jab.”

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