June 13, 2003

LONDON (AP) -- A High Court judge on Friday ordered two girls aged 4 and 10 to be given the measle-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine against their mothers' wishes.

The girls' fathers, who live separately from the youngsters and their mothers, had argued in favor of the triple vaccine, currently required in more than 90 countries.

Some British parents have refused to give their children the combined vaccination following a 1998 British study -- since contested -- which concluded that the vaccine could be linked to autism, a severe neurological disorder usually diagnosed around the age of 2, the same age that the vaccine is given.

Justice Christopher Sumner Friday said the court "has to decide whether immunization is in (the girls') interests, whether the mothers' opposition should prevail, and whether an order should be made.

"Recognizing the anxieties of the mothers and that an adverse decision will be upsetting, the children's best interests are served by receiving a program of immunizations and an order should be made," he said.

The judge said the benefits of the triple inoculation outweigh any risks posed by the treatment.

But he stressed that his ruling should not be seen as a general approval of giving the MMR vaccination to all children.

"I accept a parent's right to choose whether they accept medical advice to have immunization for their children or not," he said.

The girls cannot be identified because they are under age, and they were referred to in court proceedings by the initials C and F.

Many British parents' fears appear to be the result of a surge of publicity about one doctor's concerns about the safety of the triple inoculation.

Since the 1998 study, several authoritative groups of international scientists have examined the evidence -- including a panel that reviewed five decades of research on the vaccine's side effects -- and concluded there is no evidence of a connection.

However, many parents remain unconvinced and health authorities fear a measles comeback.