Parents who don’t vaccinate their children with MMR ‘irresponsible’, say 7 in 10 parents

In a sign that the message is starting to get through about the dangers associated with measles, seven out of ten parents believe parents who do not vaccinate their children with MMR are being irresponsible, according to a new ComRes/ITV poll.

Of those questioned, just 16 per cent disagreed and 13 per cent were not sure.

Eight in ten (83 per cent) also considered the MMR triple vaccination to be a safe way to protect children against Measles, Mumps and Rubella. A small minority (5 per cent) continued to view the MMR vaccine as unsafe. This is around 2.4 million British adults.

A large majority (85 per cent) of the British public said they supported the campaign to give a million teenagers the MMR vaccine while only 5 per cent disagree and 9 per cent do not know.

Public opinion is divided, however, over whether school children not vaccinated with MMR should be refused admission to state schools to protect other children. 37 per cent agree children not vaccinated with MMR should be refused admission to state schools while 43 per cent disagree and 20 per cent don’t know.

Left Foot Forward has previously looked at the media’s shameful role in the MMR scandal here, here and here.