Letter: Safer vaccines

IT IS regrettable that the Government is taking such a heavy- handed approach to those parents who wish their children to be protected from measles mumps and rubella by single rather than a combined vaccines (Leading article, 29 August). A GP of my acquaintance is happy to offer his patients the choice of a homeopathic vaccine. When I enquired about its effectiveness he replied that the outcome was just the same as for the conventional injection; none of his patients who were treated homeopathically caught the diseases.

I have even heard that farm animals can be effectively treated homeopathically. When the effects of routine medication are causing growing concern, it is a pity that these avenues are not explored more enthusiastically; or is this another example of the enormous power wielded by the drug companies?

SUZANNE TIBURTIUS

Canterbury, Kent