Good uptake of MMR in Mid-Ulster

A total of 97.1 per cent of children in the Northern Trust area were vaccinated against measles, mumps and rubella (MMR1), while 93 per cent of children were covered by the age of five with the MMR2 from October to December 2013.

The Northern Ireland average is 97.3 per cent for MMR1 and 92.5 per cent for MMR2 by the age of five from October to December.

Some parents believe the single vaccines are safer for their children, and they shun the triple cocktail. Medical researcher Dr Andrew Wakefield first reported a link between MMR and autism in 1998 but his evidence has since been discredited.