The government has made a statement claiming that homeopathy’s governing bodies need to make it clearer to parents that alternative methods being used as measles treatments won’t act as protection. A large number of children aren’t protected by the MMR vaccine, due to a scare which followed a medical publication that stated there could be a link between the jab and autism. While this was later discredited, it has left numerous children unprotected against the virus. Because homeopathy remedies are mainly water, they don’t offer any protection for the body.
Some parents are standing firm on their belief that homeopathy can boost their child’s immune system, opting for natural methods over traditional methods. It can lead to parents feeling pressured to follow the same route, as such a belief can spread through the school communities. It can often reach critical mass within communities, as parents feel shamed into being an ‘irresponsible’ parent if they opt for the injection. But the British Homeopathic Association and Faculty of Homeopathy have stated that there is no evidence to prove that homeopathic vaccinations can help to protect against contagious diseases. Conventional treatments offer much more protection and have studies to back up their validity.
There are currently around 700 cases or diagnosed and suspected measles in Wales, which is the biggest outbreak since the triple jab was first launched in 1988. However, there is an estimated 40,000 children in the Wales areas which haven’t had the MMR jab. It is possible to have a single vaccine, which some parents opt for over the MMR, and clinics have noticed an increased in the amount of parents now choosing to have the vaccine over homeopathic treatments. If left untreated, measles can cause problems such as viral meningitis and also swellings in the testicles or ovaries.