PARENTS in Worcestershire are gradually regaining confidence in the MMR vaccine, after a fall in the take-up figures over the past few years.

Suspected links between the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine and the onset of autism and bowel disease had made parents uneasy and the Government moved to publicly support the use of the vaccine earlier this week.

In South Worcestershire, which includes Malvern, the take-up at age two fell by about four per cent between 1995 and 1998, although it remained quite good at around 94 per cent in Bromsgrove and Redditch.

Take-up of the pre-school dose of MMR declined even further, to 68 per cent in South Worcestershire compared with 84 per cent in the north of the county.

"We've started to see a recovery in the past 12 months," said Dr Alan Twedell, Worcester consultant in communicable disease.

"Take-up for two-year-olds had fallen to about 88 per cent and we want to get back to 95 per cent, which it was five years ago.

"I'm absolutely confident that MMR is the way to go. Using separate vaccines is untested and exposes children to the risk of disease for a longer period.

"It may actually reduce the uptake, by giving parents mixed messages about the desirability of the vaccine."

Fears have been expressed nationally about the likelihood of a measles outbreak because fewer children are being vaccinated, but Dr Tweddell said the risk was still low in Worcestershire.

There was a possibility of measles being imported from outside the county but continued improvement in vaccination rates would help guard against this, he said.

"The MMR vaccine was introduced in the UK in 1988 and is now used in all European countries without exception," said Dr Tweddell.

"The consensus is that there is no relationship between MMR and autism. In Finland, two million children receiving MMR have been followed up over 14 years and no evidence can be demonstrated of a link with either autism or bowel disease."