SINGLE vaccination jabs for measles, mumps and rubella are being made available to youngsters in Bromsgrove and throughout Worcestershire.

The news was welcomed this week by the town's MP Julie Kirkbride who is campaigning for parents to be given a choice of vaccine and whose commons' Bill has been thwarted twice this year.

The injections which replace the controversial three-in-one MMR vaccine will be administered by private clinic Direct Health 2000 via a mobile unit set to visit the area at the end of April.

The clinic has been providing single vaccinations for two years to give parents a choice.

Some believe the MRR vaccine can lead to children developing autism and Crohn's disease.

A spokeswoman for the clinic, Kathy Durnford, said they had been "inundated" with requests from around the country prompting it to provide outreach clinics in areas where demand was high.

"We are not against vaccinations, we just want to give people the choice," she said.

"Vaccinations come from Switzerland and are exactly the same strain as those used in the MMR and the same as those used before the introduction of MMR."

The clinic gives the three jabs at £35 an injection for measles and mumps and £25 for rubella over a period of 18 weeks.

Worcestershire's deputy director of public health Dr Tim Davies said the MMR jab would continue to be given to children on the NHS, adding that locally and nationally parents are advised to have their children vaccinated with the MMR vaccine.

"There is no credible evidence that MMR is in any way linked to autism or Crohn's disease. Single dose vaccines don't provide such good protection," he said.

Further details about the outreach clinic are available from Deborah Ryding on 01531 631642.