A daily summary of social care stories from the main newspapers

By Clare Jerrom and Reg McKay.

Multi-jabs pose no risk to babies, say US
researchers

Babies are not at risk from multi-jabs such as the measles,
mumps and rubella vaccination, according to a paper in the American
journal ‘Paediatrics’.

It states a baby’s immune system could safely cope with as
many as 10,000 vaccines at any one time.

The news comes as take up figures of the MMR vaccination in
Britain have slumped due to parents’ fears of an alleged but
unproven link to bowel disease and autism.

Some parents fear the vaccines may overwhelm the babies immune
system and have sought separate jabs, which the department of
health strongly opposes.

The paper in the American journal is a result of a similar
concern in the States where surveys show around a quarter of
parents have doubts.

But authors of the paper from the section of infectious diseases
at the children’s hospital of Philadelphia say that babies are
capable to responding to bigger challenges than the MMR
vaccination.

The paper says: “Young infants have an enormous capacity to
respond to multiple vaccines, as well as to the many other
challenges present in the environment.

“By providing protection against a number of bacterial and viral
pathogens, vaccines prevent the ‘weakening’ of the
immune system, and consequent secondary bacterial infections
occasionally caused by natural infection,” it says.

Source:- The Guardian Tuesday 8 January page 9

‘Battered’ wife granted appeal

A woman who claims to be a victim of “battered wife syndrome”,
and who is serving a life sentence for murdering her husband, had
her case referred to the court of appeal by the criminal cases
review commission yesterday.

Josephine Smith was convicted in 1993 at Norwich crown court of
murdering her husband Brian, despite her claims that she had
suffered years of sexual degradation and violence.

Campaign group Justice for Women argued that the court had not
fully understood the syndrome.

An independent body, the review commission said yesterday that
Smith’s conviction should be reconsidered.

Source:- Daily Telegraph Tuesday 8 January page 8

Scottish newspapers

Report leads to changes in childcare grants

Glasgow council is to introduce sweeping changes to its system
of allocating child care grants in the light of a critical internal
report.

The report was commissioned by the education department
following allegations that large grants were being paid to
independent nurseries with inadequate safeguards and checks.
Internal auditors have concluded that an independent chair should
be appointed to the grant allocating group, three monthly reviews
should be carried out and additional safeguards put in place.

Source:- The Herald Tuesday 8 January page 5