I'm REALLY not trying to play devil's advocate here, but I know - personally - two cases whereby a child started to show symptoms of autism and IBS within 28 days of having the MMR vaccine. I'm not making a case either way, and before anyone jumps on me I'm not blogging this, writing editor's letters about it, or anything, but EITHER the combined vaccine may cause a problem that has as yet not been found, OR the parents need to be warned somehow that it is given within less than a month of the point at which previously sound and responsive babies start to withdraw and show autistic signs. And, IBS. And regarding people taking scare stories as truth, when the medical industry (ie big phamacuetical companies, NOT Tom and his peers) tries to downplay and deny "side effects" of drugs because it hits them in their pocket, then I'm sorry, there will always be a number of people - and hands up on this one I AM one of them - for whom a doctor's say so comes second to personal experience. It's a slight digression, but look at the current controversy about vaccine-associated feline sarcoma - and the whole controversy now (especially in the States) about the very concept of yearly vax for animals at all. V-AFS had to reach ridiculous levels of "anecdotal" reporting, before anyone took it seriously though. Doubly so for some vets who were sending out yearly reminders, and guilting pet owners into paying for the jabs. One thing that people who investigate herbal and other alternative medicines are told, is that "anything powerful enough to work has potential to harm if misused" - something that the docs who over-prescribe antibiotics and antidepressents may do well to bear in mind, and a good reason for the rest of us to to stay ever so slightly on the cynical side when it comes to prescriptions and vaccines. Sorry for the rant, but I've been up the sharp side on this and it has cost me dearly (anyone wants to e-mail me, via my profile, and I'll fill in the deets) and I give blind trust to nothing anymore, if I can help it.