Letter: MMR jab and privacy
Letter: People berate Tony Blair for refusing to divulge whether or not his children had been given the MMR vaccine, but Mr Blair's children have a right of patient confidentiality.
Letter: Alastair Reid accuses Tony Blair of causing the MMR panic and berates him for refusing to divulge whether or not his children had been given the vaccine (Starmail, February 9).
Mr Blair was right to protect his children from the media storm and intrusive voter demands. His children have the same rights of patient confidentiality as do the children of Alastair Reid.
Mr Reid accuses the government of failing to provide reassurance about the vaccine. Where was he during the many broadcasts by Sir Liam Donaldson, the government's chief medical advisor. Was he asleep when the leaders of all the medical colleges endorsed the vaccine, when virtually every paediatrician urged parents to give their children its protection. And, Mr Reid could have gone to his GP.
Mr Reid further accuses the government of now vilifying Dr Wakefield. It is not the government vilifying Dr Wakefield, it is the General Medical Council. After a long and thorough inquiry the GMC has exposed Dr Wakefield's reckless pseudo-research, his deception of The Lancet, which published that research, and his cruel and unethical use of innocent children to promote that research.
Many people made a hero of Dr Wakefield and his unmasking makes them look like fools so they protest even louder that he was right. Mr Reid hedges his bets and believes Dr Wakefield "may or may not be correct" Another conspiracy theory develops. Let's have an inquiry and nail Mr Blair!
Dr Michael Kirk
Bridgnorth
