NHS Surrey has issued a message to parents that MMR vaccine is safe, after new figures this week showed one in three children living in the county had not received the required doses.

Health experts at NHS Surrey said that despite scare stories, the vaccine was the only way to make sure children were fully protected against measles, mumps and rubella.

To be protected, children need two doses by their fifth birthday.

Tricia Spedding, public health lead at NHS Surrey, said: “We all try to do what we can to keep our children safe – and by having them immunised against measles, mumps and rubella we can protect them from infections that can lead to serious complications.

“Worryingly, last year only 64 per cent of children in Surrey had been immunised with both doses of the MMR vaccine by their fifth birthday, meaning one in three children in this age group is potentially at risk.”

The message by NHS Surrey followed the news this week that Andrew Wakefield, a British doctor who claimed there was a link between the vaccine and autism, had been struck off by the General Medical Council (GMC) for serious professional misconduct.

The GMC said he had acted in a “misleading” way while carrying out research into the possible link and had “abused his position of trust”.

Ms Spedding said: “Negative stories about the vaccine have led parents to question whether or not to get their children vaccinated.

While I understand parents are worried by the claims, what people don’t realise is that there is absolutely no evidence to support a link between MMR and autism.

“There is a common myth that measles is a run-of-the-mill illness that can be easily treated. What people don’t realise is that measles can be very serious and even fatal.

"I can’t stress enough that the MMR immunisation is the most effective and safe way we can protect our children."

For more information on the MMR vaccine, visit www.nhs.uk.