For years, health advocacy groups such as the National Vaccine Information Center (NVIC) have raised concerns about the safety and effectiveness of the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine, particularly the controversial second dose.

More recently, medical experts have joined them in questioning the wisdom of subjecting children to the drug, which has been linked to numerous cases of inflammatory bowel disease and autism.

Particularly in Britain, M.D.s are speaking out about the vaccine. The Telegraph of Britain reported that Dr. Peter Fletcher, a senior scientific civil servant and assessor to the Committee on Safety of Medicines -- who formerly served as principal medical officer at Britain's Department of Health -- thinks the introduction of the vaccine 12 years ago was premature. Fletcher says the department should have waited for a year and conducted more research.

In another article published three days later, the Telegraph quoted Andrew Wakefield, a consultant gastroenterologist at the Royal Free Hospital in London, as saying that in the "majority" of cases parents had documentary evidence that their child's physical and mental decline had followed the vaccination.

These doctors aren't alone in their concerns. A report published in a major British medical journal revealed that nearly half of all health professionals surveyed have reservations about the second dose of the MMR vaccine.

The researchers surveyed 140 health visitors, 204 practice nurses and 165 general practitioners in the North Wales Health Authority area about their knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding MMR vaccination. They found that 48% of the professionals had reservations about the second dose of the vaccine -- although only three percent disagreed with the policy of giving it.

Most shocking was the news that these medical providers hadn't even tried to educate themselves about the drug. Despite nationally available resources on immunization, nearly a fifth of general practitioners reported that they had not read the MMR section in the "green book" and 29% reported that they had not received the Health Education Authority's fact sheet on MMR immunization.

SOURCES: "MMR doctor links 170 cases of autism to vaccine," by Lorraine Fraser, medical correspondent, Telegraph, Jan 21, 2001.

"MMR jab was launched too early, says health chief," by Celia Hall, medical editor, Telegraph, Jan. 18, 2001.