2. Are immunisations safe for a child with Down's syndrome?

The current opinion of the Down Syndrome Medical Interest Group (DSMIG) is that all routine immunisations should be offered to children with Down's syndrome, and that certain additional immunisations, such as influenza immunisation, should be considered. There is some evidence that children with Down's syndrome are more susceptible to various infections, while there is no evidence that children with Down's syndrome are more likely to have an adverse reaction to immunisations.

Concern is often expressed particularly about the MMR vaccination, in the light of the recent controversy over a suggested link with autism. Again, the advice from the DSMIG is that there is no reason to withhold the vaccine from children with Down's syndrome. The vast majority of independent research bodies, who have looked into the evidence relating to MMR and autism, have found no good quality evidence linking the two. There is no reason to suggest that children with Down's syndrome would be any more at risk of adverse side effects. The diseases which MMR protects against would be likely to be serious for a child with the syndrome, and single vaccines would leave the child at risk from these diseases for longer.