HEALTH watchdogs today called for a re-think over the controversial MMR jab after it was revealed that hundreds of children are not being protected against highly contagious diseases.

Latest figures show only 82 per cent of tots in Blackburn, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley called for the measles, mumps and rubella jab had received it, compared to about 88 per cent three months ago -- prompting fears of a measles epidemic.

The new figures, which are the lowest in at least five years, mean about 720 youngsters in the area will be left unprotected in the next year if take-up doesn't improve.

The vaccine has been suspected of causing dozens of illnesses including autism, allergies, stomach disorders and brain damage but Dr Roberta Marshall, East Lancashire Health Authority's communicable disease director, said it had been accepted as safe by dozens of organisations.

Patient representatives have now called for health chiefs to offer worried parents separate vaccines to safeguard their children.

But infectious diseases experts believe scares are a side-issue compared to the threat of a measles epidemic.

Vaccination levels for the jab, introduced in 1988, show a similar fall nationwide, although local figures are worse than many areas.

Take-up in Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale is better, with 90 per cent of parents bringing their children for the jab, slightly up on earlier figures.

But about 300 children will still miss out

Community Health Council members are to write to the Department of Health, asking them to make single jabs available.

They will also say funding should be directed into single jabs instead of adverts cajoling unwilling parents to accept MMR.

Chief officer Nigel Robinson said: "We are reflecting the views of dozens of parents we have spoken to.

"We appreciate that the Department says the jab is safe, but they are restricting parental choice.

Mr Robinson said there was no reason to believe parents would fail to complete the course of six jabs that would replace the two MMR jabs, usually given at age 13 months and four years.

Dr Marshall, who said take-up levels were not enough to prevent an epidemic, said she was against the idea because it might make parents believe the triple vaccine was dangerous.

And she said single jabs spaced out over months meant children would not be protected from all the diseases for some time. She said: "My heart sank when I saw the latest take-up figures. I can only hope that some of these children are just waiting for appointments because the clinics are busy with meningitis vaccine programmes. I hope it's just a blip."

"I think people are getting too bogged down in the vaccine issue and forgetting that the aim is to protect children from three very serious diseases.