3:58pm UK, Sunday December 16, 2001

The Prime Minister's sister-in-law Lauren Booth has accused the Government of double standards over the MMR vaccine.

Cherie Blair's half-sister says ministers should tell the truth about the combined measles, mumps and rubella inoculation given to young children.

Needle

"Where my daughter's health is concerned I'm more inclined to believe information I find on the Internet than to swallow advice from a Government leaflet," Ms Booth told the Mail On Sunday.

'Breezy recommendation'

"How can a Government, which in one breath advises us to check the labels on food for additives and E numbers, then so breezily recommend vaccinations containing mercury and formaldehyde for babies less than nine weeks old?"

Ms Booth has refused to allow her 12-month-old daughter Alexandra to have the MMR jab.

The Department of Health has insisted that MMR, rather than single injections, is the most effective way to protect children against the illnesses.

Autism link

But about 2,000 families have taken legal action, claiming their children have been damaged by the jab, with many believing it has triggered autism and bowel disorders.

Earlier this month, Dr Andrew Wakefield, who researched the possible link between the vaccine and autism, resigned from his job at London's Royal Free and University College Medical School.