Acting with ‘facts’ in order to re-model vaccination policies: The case of MMR-vaccine in the UK 1988

In October 1988, the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) triplevaccine was introduced in the UK. This study analyses the processof gathering and communicating factual evidence to support thedecision made in order to implement the triple vaccine and to renewthe prevailing vaccination policy. The study shows thatimplementation of a new national vaccination strategy is a not singleact of decision-making, but a heterogeneous process of acting withfacts, which grounds the decision itself on a solid body of evidence.This study develops the concept ‘acting with’ as a way to describehow facts are acted upon in the context of utilisation. In particular,the concept of acting with is refined as enacting, interacting, andreacting in the case of implementing the MMR triple vaccine in theUK (1987). These three modalities of acting with facts reveal thedynamic, practice-driven side of evidence. The study is based onarchived documents held at the Health Protection Agency, Colindale.[...]