By Lucy Rodgers

THE parents of a boy vaccinated against childhood diseases are suing pharmaceutical giant SmithKline Beecham because they claim the injection damaged their son's health.

Paul and Alison Krisson are seeking more than £50,000 damages because they say their nine-year-old son has been damaged by the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccination.

The couple, from Northleach, Gloucestershire, have joined other families, who have allegedly had similar experiences, to take out a multi-party action against SmithKline Beecham and SmithKline French Laboratories Ltd.

Oliver suffers from dyspraxia tendencies, a condition which has been described as similar to autism, resulting in a lack of coordination.

He was given the MMR vaccine Pluserix, manufactured by SmithKline Beecham, based in Middlesex, when he was 13 months old. Although he looks like any other nineyear-old boy, Oliver has a mental age of six and is a year behind at school.

Oliver was vaccinated at a GP's surgery when the couple lived in Bushey, Hertfordshire, before the family moved to Northleach.

His father Paul, aged 42, a business development manager, said: "Both girls had the jab so we had no qualms.

But Oliver had a reaction, a temperature and rash.

"He lost words and became very upset and difficult. There are a few hundred children who have been damaged. We're doing this for them and for Oliver, who will need support all his life."

His mother Alison, 35, said: "He's very lovable, loving, outgoing and cheeky.

But he is unable to do anything that needs too many actions. He's unable to use a knife and fork or sharpen a pencil."

SmithKline Beecham confirmed some 400 claims were being made against them and other manufacturers of the vaccine.