SO finally, after a 20 year wait, the government offers to pay more money to victims of vaccine damage.

But only if they can prove they are 60 per cent damaged.

Why this arbitrary figure?

What if a person is 50 per cent damaged?

They are presumably supposed to struggle on without compensation.

The compensation issue misses the real point.

Vaccine damage can result in a whole spectrum of illness and injury.

Who is looking for the child who has 20 per cent vaccine damage resulting say in minimal brain damage?

Many children are left with learning difficulties or behavioural problems.

I have spoken to many parents of vaccine damaged children and only in a very few cases have the medical authorities accepted that a vaccine was responsible. Also missing from the government's announcement is the issue of information for parents prior to the vaccines being given.

Many parents I have spoken to say they would not have agreed to vaccination if they had been fully aware of the potential vaccine side-effects.

Doctors assuring parents that side-effects are a "one-in-a-million occurrence" is untrue and misleading.

Nobody is looking for low level vaccine damage.

Long term studies are not done and the majority of parents who report vaccine damage are not believed.

The fact that vaccine efficiency is measured by antibody counts instead of actual ability to prevent disease is also something rarely if ever explained to parents.

If parents would like more in-depth information about vaccines contact Vaccination Info, PO Box 43, Hull HU1 1AA (enclose large SAE), tel. (01482) 562079 or email yvonne@vaccinfo.karoo.co.uk

Patrick Holdsworth,

18 Folkestone St.

Hull,

HU5 1BH