by Jenny Hope, 13th January 2009
Taken from the Daily Mail

Confidential documents on the introduction of the MMR vaccine should be released by the Department of Health, says the Information Commissioner.

Richard Thomas ruled that their release was in the public interest, despite months of foot-dragging by officials.

He said minutes from three committee meetings before the introduction of the Measles Mumps and Rubella jab in 1988 should be published under the Freedom of Information Act.

Some of the controversy surrounding immunisation has been fuelled by a ‘perceived lack of transparency’, he said.

'Ultimately, knowing who said what and whose opinions were taken into account will facilitate greater openness, accountability and transparency,' he said.

The information is likely to include data from the pre-licensing studies of MMR before the nationwide immunisation began in 1988. 

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