SIRC Media Watch Archive
The Pick – February 2003
Measles cases soar. The number of confirmed cases of measles in England and Wales rose significantly last year … Over 90% of those who contracted measles had not been vaccinated … Around 100 cases were in the Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham areas of south London, where there was an outbreak of measles early last year. The MMR vaccination rate in the area is one of the lowest in the country, with just 72% receiving the vaccination. BBC.
Isn't there a chemical spray for Meacher blight? Crackpots declaring that "the end of the world is nigh" are nothing new. But that notion is no longer the preserve of religious zealots or sci-fi fantasists. It now seems to be the position of a government minister — Michael Meacher. And the weapons of mass destruction that Mr Meacher is most worried about are you and I. Mick Hume in the Times
Our fear of childhood. A decade of increasing parental fear and anxiety have reduced children's quality of life. We need to realise that we can not simply pass new laws to meet every eventuality. Observer
Fears over fried foods 'are overstated'. Fears that fried or baked foods could be carcinogenic because the cooking processes produce the toxin acrylamide could be overstated, scientists from Cancer Research UK said yesterday. Research by the charity showed no links between eating products such as crisps, chips and bread and cancers of the bowel, bladder and kidney. Financial Times.
