THE operators of a private North-East vaccination clinic have denied cashing in on public concern over MMR after a big price increase.

The cost of immunising a toddler against mumps has risen from £90 to £140 a shot in recent months.

But there is no shortage of families willing to pay an extra £50 because of continuing concerns over the safety of the triple MMR (mumps, measles and rubella) vaccine.

Despite strenuous denials by the health and medical establishment of any significant safety risk, many families continue to seek individual jabs because they fear the triple jab could trigger autism.

Next weekend, nearly 300 families from all over the region and as far away as Scotland will descend on Healthchoice UK clinic in Newcastle.

They will pay £100 per injection for individual measles or rubella vaccines, and £140 for mumps vaccines.

Kathryn Durnford, managing director of Healthchoice UK, denied they were making excessive profits out of the mumps vaccine.

"Since last August, there has been a shortage of individual mumps vaccines. We have been working hard to obtain supplies. Unfortunately, the suppliers know there is a demand and they have put the prices up.

"We are not profiteering. If we don't pay the prices we don't get the vaccines," she said.

Despite the price hike, she said there was no shortage of takers.

"We are getting people from other clinics who are coming to us because we can supply the missing mumps vaccine," she said.

Healthchoice UK, which runs 20 clinics offering individual MMR jabs around the UK, holds sessions at the Newcastle Clinic, Towers Avenue, Jesmond, Newcastle, every 12 weeks.

Ms Durnford said 290 families were booked in for this weekend.

"We have 160 coming on Saturday and a further 130 on Sunday," she said.

Despite the success of the private immunisation sessions, Ms Durnford said she would be happy if the NHS offered private jabs to parents.

"I think parents should have a choice. We would be happy if the NHS offered this - we have other plans," she said.

For more information about individual MMR jabs, contact 0870 4439980.