THE county faces an outbreak of potentially fatal diseases because thousands of the children eligible for the combined MMR jab in Worcestershire have not been vaccinated.

The South Worcestershire Primary Care Trust, has revealed that close to a quarter of children eligible for immunisation have not yet been protected by the combined mumps, measles and rubella jab.

This follows claims that the MMR injection could be linked to autism and bowel disease.

No link has yet been proved.

The immunisation uptake has decreased to danger levels with just 79 per cent of children aged two and under who were eligible between April and June this year being treated.

According to Doctor Tim Davies, director of public health for the SWPTC, the figure should be "in excess of 90 per cent".

Wilful stupidity

Doctor Martin Ounsted, who sits on the county Local Medical Committee, condemned the single jab and parents who did not vaccinate their children against MMR.

"I have seen children avoidably brain damaged because of the wilful stupidity of their over-clever parents. They clearly have too much IQ and too little common sense," he said.

"I think those parents who are wilfully choosing to expose their children to the risk of serious brain damage are being massively negligent and should be thoroughly ashamed.

"Single jabs are hard to come by and more risky."

The 79 per cent figure is seven per cent worse than the 2002 April to June figure of children eligible for the MMR vaccination in Worcestershire.

Dr Davies said: "This is not a high enough uptake to prevent community outbreaks of these diseases. The figure has to be more than 90 per cent."

He blamed media coverage highlighting claims that MMR can be linked with autism and bowel diseases, saying it had caused "hysteria" among parents.

"I understand that any risk of a link to autism is worrying. But the risk is much greater in terms of not immunising your child, not only to that child but other people's too. There is no evidence to support the autism claims," he added.

The Evening News has previously reported on the Worcester-based Desumo Clinic, that offered single vaccination jabs.

But many GPs fear single jabs may not be able to guarantee full inoculation.