Alarm bells are ringing after a sharp drop in the number of children having the controversial triple MMR vaccine in the region.

The new figures coincide with an outbreak of mumps in Darlington which has seen up to 30 suspected cases.

Last week more than 150 students and staff at Carmel Technology College in Darlington were immunised with the triple vaccine in a bid to prevent it spreading.

Public health doctors fear that a potentially devastating epidemic could be just around the corner unless immunisation figures are increased.

The new figures show that the proportion of two year olds having the mumps, measles and rubella vaccine in County Durham and Darlington fell from 89.6 per cent to 86.3 per cent between October and December last year.

Health bosses blame the 3.3 per cent slump in vaccinations on controversy over the safety of the triple vaccine which shows no signs of going away despite yesterday's report from the authoritative Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin.

The report looked at the scientific evidence surrounding the MMR vaccine and concluded there is no convincing evidence that the triple vaccine causes autism or bowel inflammation.

It also criticised the idea of separate jabs because it leaves children exposed to infection between sessions.

As recently as March 2001 the proportion of two year olds immunised in County Durham and Darlington was 92.7 per cent.

Dr Bill Kirkup, regional director of public health said: "If the MMR immunisation uptake continues to fall, an epidemic is more likely. We have to listen to the experts and keep repeating the message that the triple vaccine is safe in the hope that it gets through."

Dr Kirkup stressed that the chances of damaging your child by not having the vaccine "far, far outweighed" the chance of a mishap.

"Measles can cause serious brain infection, leaving children paralysed, mumps can cause infections which can cause sterility and if rubella gets to pregnant women it can cause birth-defects," he added.

Nonnie Crawford, public health director with Darlington Primary Care Trust, said: "We are going to work with health visitors and GPs and try to ensure the right messages about MMR get across to parents."

Jackie Fletcher, national co-ordinator of Jabs, which supports the families of vaccine-damaged children, said more research needed to be done to convince parents that the MMR vaccine was safe. *For more information about MMR visit www.immunisation.org.uk