Donald Trump’s comments on the MMR vaccine have been branded ‘dangerous’ by a top TV pharmacist, who said following the US president’s advice could leave children ‘vulnerable to dangerous diseases’
A top TV pharmacist has hit out at Donald Trump’s ‘dangerous’ comments over the MMR vaccine.
In new comments on his Truth Social platform on Friday, the US president issued more unproven medical advice about childhood vaccinations – just days after claiming that taking paracetamol during pregnancy was connected to a “very increased risk” of autism in children.
Writing in all-capital letters, Trump urged parents to arrange “THREE TOTALLY SEPARATE SHOTS” for measles, mumps and rubella, rather than the combined MMR jab used for most vaccinations currently. Speaking to the Mirror, TV Pharmacist and Health Expert Thorrun Govin explained that there is no sound medical basis in this advice – and warned that separate vaccines may actually put children in more danger.
He said: “Single vaccines are less safe than MMR because they leave children vulnerable to dangerous diseases for longer. With the combined MMR most children are given good protection by a single dose.“Uptake is also poorer with single vaccines. The dangerous rhetoric by the President, without comprehensive evidence threatens to undo much hard work that has been done since Andrew Wakefield was discredited.”
It comes after a top doctor told the Mirror that Trump’s comments were a ‘threat to child health’, as they could increase vaccine hesitancy among parents – worsening the measles crisis in the US and other developed nations.
Dr Michael Head, a global health researcher based in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Southampton, said: “This is a problem. There are so many measles cases across most of the world, including richer countries such as the USA, UK and Europe. Children are being hospitalised and dying of measles, which is tragic, unnecessary and completely preventable.
“Measles is more infectious than any of the Covid variants, but transmission and illness is preventable with two doses of the MMR vaccine. Rubella, the ‘R’ part of MMR, is a very dangerous virus to pregnant women, greatly increasing the risk of stillbirth and miscarriage.
“We really need a very high uptake of the safe and effective MMR vaccine, to keep children and pregnant women safe. The vaccine is recommended by the NHS and World Health Organisation.
“Comments like those from Trump and Robert F Kennedy are a threat to child health. It’s also worth remembering that during the pandemic, Trump suggested injecting bleach may be a way to cure COVID-19. He does not have a good track record of sensible public health advice.”