They Understand The Workings Of The Human Body…

…but nothing whatsoever about people. Yes, it’s the British Meddling Association again:

Sir Sandy said: "Our attempts to persuade people have failed.

"The suggestion is that we ought to consider making a link which in effect would make it compulsory for children to be immunised if they are to receive the benefit of a free education from the state."

Well, thanks for illustrating so perfectly the mindset of the Righteous, Sir Sandy.

‘Those dumb cattle don’t trust or respect us enough to take our advice like they should do, so we’ll force it on them. That’ll get us the trust and respect we crave!’

Uptake of the MMR vaccine fell sharply after controversial research wrongly linked it to a raised risk of autism.

One in four children under five has not had both MMR injections, which are needed to give full protection against measles, mumps and rubella.

As a result there have been measles outbreaks across the country, and experts at the Health Protection Agency now fear a measles epidemic is likely.

So introduce single vaccinations – it’s what the people want, and it would resolve a good deal of your problem.

Yes, it’d be more expensive and result in a longer period of vulnerability while the courses were completed, but helllloooo!!

At the moment, that period of vulnerability is infinity, and a measles epidemic will cost a fortune too. Not least on the useless information booklets you’ll probably rush to the printers having first crossed out the words ‘swine flu’ on the ones you already have…

Linking vaccinations to school admission is controversial but common in other countries.

And…?

Hmm, let me try that one on for size:

‘Bullfighting is controversial but common in other countries.’

‘Child labour is controversial but common in other countries.’

Sound like a good reason to introduce either to the UK?

Thought not…

The BBC has learned, however, through a freedom of information request that the strategic health authority in London asked the government if it could introduce compulsory vaccinations.

Specifically the SHA asked about the "feasibility of requiring an immunisation certificate for measles before children go to school."

Luckily, the DoH officials saw this train wreck coming and quickly changed the points to shunt the SHA safely into the buffers:

In documents seen by the BBC, the Department of Health acknowledges that immunisation rates in London are consistently lower than the rest of the country.

But officials said: "Our strategy is to maintain a voluntary immunisation system and invest efforts in educating parents about the benefits of vaccination and dispelling 'myths' about vaccine safety."

So, what do the parents themselves say?

Surely anyone who has had experience of measles in their child will be a convert to ‘jab ‘em all by force!’ ideas?

Rachel Whittle knows the consequences of not vaccinating her children.

Her daughter Lola May was in hospital for five weeks and has been left partially deaf after getting measles.

"In hindsight I wish that I'd had my children vaccinated," she said.

"The guilt is something that I now have to live with.

"But I didn't choose to vaccinate, I urge parents to vaccinate and make that decision.

"But I don't however agree with it being compulsory."

So if even those affected realise that there are wider civil liberties issues here, why don’t the likes of Sir Sandy?

Or maybe they do realise, but just don’t care. The ‘end justifies the means’, I suppose…

At a mother and toddler group in Manchester parents were equally unsure about making vaccinations compulsory.

"I don't think you'd have to go as far as legal intervention," said one mother.

"All that would do is make people angry and saying don't impose such sanctions really."

"I don't think it should be compulsory," said another.

"I've had my daughter done but I think it's down to the parent.

"If the parents don't want their children to have the injection I don't think they should have to."

And even the other experts think Sir Sandy is barking up the wrong tree. Or just barking:

Professor Adam Finn, a vaccine expert in Bristol, said the media was largely to blame for scaremongering over the MMR jab.

But, although he sympathises with Sir Sandy's concerns about the possibility of a measles epidemic, Professor Finn believes compulsory vaccination would be counter-productive.

"There is a real risk we would end up with less MMR immunisation not more," he said.

"I think this would be handing a gift to the anti-vaccine lobby, because they would say 'look they can't persuade you it is right, so they are going to have to force you'."

Quite.

So why waste the BMA’s time debating it?