So now we know. According to Cherie Blair, who has exposed her susceptibility to woo by using crystal therapy, Leo Blair did have the MMR jab:
In early December the Daily Mail ratcheted up its attacks on me. They demanded to know whether [Leo] had had the MMR vaccine. “Come Clean, Cherie†was the headline. The great issue of the day was whether the MMR vaccine caused autism. A report – since wholly discredited – had said that it did. Then the Mirror joined in. I had innocently responded to a letter sent to me by the mother of an autistic child, saying I was “keeping an eye on thingsâ€.
A number of people around me, whose views I respected, were vociferously against all forms of vaccination. Over the years I had listened to their side of the argument and, it’s fair to say, I was in two minds. I did get Leo vaccinated, not least because it’s irresponsible not to – there’s absolutely no doubt that the incidence of disease goes up if vaccinations go down – and he was given his MMR jab within the recommended time-frame. I was adamant, however, that I would not give the press chapter and verse. They had no right and it would set a bad precedent, and everyone – by which I mean Alastair and Fiona – agreed.
Prior reports have already suggested that Leo was vaccinated.
At the time of the initial controversy Catherine Bennett of The Guardian said:
non-disclosure will be taken to mean that Leo has not been done, or done privately in single doses, and a sure sign that there is something dodgy about MMR vaccinations.
Just showing that paranoid cynicism isn’t always right.
I still have some sympathy with the view that the Blairs were correct not to enter into a debate orchestrated by newspapers with an axe to grind, because of the precedent it might set. Given the vaccination schedule, and other potential health problems children can have, it would mean that the children of politicians could be targeted over and over again in the media in a sort of voyeuristic anecdotalism. Blair stated his support for the MMR policy on numerous occasions. That should have been taken as the final word.
One Comment
From a (substantially incorrect) story about Labour planning to introduce compulsory vaccinations:
Shadow Health Minister Mike Penning said: “There is an appalling outbreak of mumps and rubella and tragically it’s because parents are not vaccinating their children.
“In some cases parents are too educated, rather than ignorant, and they have genuine concerns.
“By blackmailing parents in this way the Government would be running away from an important debate instead of educating people as to why they should be giving their children the MMR jab.â€