Name: salim suleman Candidate no:8114 Candidate centre:1346

Titles and Contents page
Page 1-Title and contents
Page 2-Introduction
Page 3-What is the MMR vaccine
Page 4-What is measles
Page 5-what is mumps
Page 6-What is rubella/What is autism
Page5-Advantages of vaccine/cases for the link between the MMR vaccine and autism
Page 6-Cases against the link between the MMR Vaccine and autism
Page 7-conclusion
Page 8-References

What is the MMR vaccine?
“In 1988, the combined MMR vaccine was introduced to replace the three separate vaccinations for Measles, Mumps and rubella “[1]. It protects against measles which is a highly infectious viral illness, Mumps a contagious viral infection that used to be common in children and rubella another viral infection. . Measles has a mortality rate standing at 1 for every 1000 cases a figure found in developed countries and is the most dangerous virus out of the 3 as it causes the most deaths. Rubella is usually a mild condition. Mumps is infectious and spread through sneezing or coughing and saliva since the introduction of the MMR vaccine, the number of cases for Measles, mumps and rubella reduced significantly. These diseases attack mainly children and it is worldwide known that these diseases have killed many people as compared to wars. “The worst of all pandemics was that of influenza in 1918. An estimated 40 million people lost their lives” [2]. Another more recent epidemic is the epidemic that is going on in wales which I will discuss further later.
The MMR vaccine works as follows. Vaccines perform their function of guarding against diseases by stimulating the human immune system into production of antibodies. The antibodies are the disease fighting agents in our bodies. Vaccines activate the immune system to create its own antibodies to fight a disease even though the body hasn’t been infected with the disease. This is known as active immunity. The MMR vaccine has small doses of viruses that bring mumps, measles and rubella diseases. Shortly after the vaccination, the immune system develops antibodies that fight the three diseases. These antibodies give the vaccinated child or adult a lifelong protection as the second time the person is exposed to the disease, the antibodies remember the cells so they can produce the correct amount markers quicker that the first time the vaccine was given. This is known as immunisation. The side effect of the vaccine is minor. The viruses present in the vaccine are alive but have, through science and technology, been made weak. This is carried out in medical labs. The weakening of these viruses is known as “attenuating.”
There is another case known as passive immunity. This arises mostly in new born babies. New born babies are protected from mumps, measles and rubella since their mothers took the with an MMR vaccine. This is known as passive immunity. The main vaccination used is to guard children against the destructive effects brought by the viruses. Many parents insist on vaccine safety however the major concern should be knowledge of the catastrophic effects of the infection (According to Wakefield 268).

(SOURCE TAKEN FROM http://www.jayne-donegan.co.uk/measles-2013 DATE ACCESSED 05/05/2013)
This graph shows a decrease in the number of deaths from measles per year. The graph shows a sharp decrease from the 1919(450 million) to 1997 (to less than a million people) this is a decrease of almost 450%.This suggest that the MMR vaccine has had a positive effect on the reduction of deaths resulting from measles. WHAT IS AUTISM
“Autism is a severe developmental disorder that begins within the first three years after conception. Most caustic children look like other kids, but do puzzling and disturbing things which are markedly