LITTLE Melissa Morris barely flinches as a nurse injects her with a needle containing the rubella single vaccine.

The two-year-old, from Darlington, is completely unaware of the controversy surrounding this moment and of the difficult decision that has been faced by her mother, Julie Reeve.

Like hundreds of other parents from the region, Julie has had to decide whether to defy the Government's advice and opt for the single vaccines or to choose the controversial MMR jab.

It is has been a heart-rending decision and one that is being deliberated over by concerned parents throughout the region.

Despite the Government's assurances that the MMR jab is safe, many believe that the supposed link between the vaccine and autism is too great a chance to take.

It is these parents who crowded into the waiting room at Direct Health's temporary base in Darlington's private Woodlands Hospital at the weekend.

As the children played on the floor, mothers and fathers discussed the decision that is proving so important to their children's futures.

Julie, 29, of Westgarth Terrace, Darlington, said: "I decided to give Melissa the single vaccines because too much has gone on about the MMR jab.

"The Government has not been able to come up with a satisfactory answer to put people's minds at rest about the health risks. To see the number of people who have come here today just goes to prove that their so-called campaign is not working.

"I think Tony Blair should have spoken out on whether his son, Leo, had had the vaccine."

She is adamant her five-month-old son, Dean, will also be given the single vaccines as soon as he is old enough.

For Linda and Keith Hamilton, of Washington, Wearside, making the right choice was paramount.

The couple took their 16-month-old daughter, Chloe, for her first jab because they felt that even a slight risk of contracting autism was too much. Mrs Hamilton, 39, and her husband had been trying for a child for almost three years when she finally became pregnant after seeking fertility treatment.

She said: "I'm just not convinced that there aren't dangers with the MMR injection.

"Our daughter is so precious to us that we're just not willing to take any chances."

Shane and Jane Gray, of Yarm, near Stockton, took daughters Amy, two, and Sophie, three, for the single jabs. Their five-year-old son, Max, was given the MMR vaccine several years ago.

The couple decided to opt for the single vaccines because Sophie was born with brain damage and their fears over the potential autism link convinced them not to have the MMR jab.

Mr Gray said: " So far, Max has not had any problems with autism or anything, but our daughter, Sophie, has got learning difficulties.

"Her condition can have autistic tendencies and we decided we were not prepared to take the chance of giving her the MMR.

"We made the same decision for Amy because we didn't want there to be a chance of her going through the same thing."

The couple are expecting another child in August. They are hoping that by the time their fourth child is old enough, the single vaccines will be available on the NHS.

The parents who attended the weekend sessions believe £240 is a small price to pay for peace of mind.

As one mother said: "I would rather pay than have the MMR."