A FAMILY doctor today admitted that he blundered by giving a seven-month-old baby boy a controversial injection linked to harmful side effects by mistake.

Dr Gullam Bhat has apologised to the family of Reece Paul Burton (pictured) who was given the jab at his Oswaldtwistle surgery.

The tot should have received the routine diptheria-tetanus-polio-whooping cough vaccine that all babies are offered at about five months old.

But Dr Bhat told the Lancashire Evening Telegraph that he believed he gave Reece the MMR (Measles, Mumps, Rubella) vaccine by mistake.

The MMR jab, which has caused a storm of controversy, is normally offered to babies aged between 12 and 18 months and has been linked to conditions including autism and bowel disorders.

Reece's mum Amanda Cooper, 25, of Howard Place, Accrington, said she was now worried that her baby son's long-term health could have been put at risk by the blunder.

Miss Cooper, who has two other children, Mercedes, eight and Levi, five, is planning to lodge a formal complaint to East Lancashire Health Authority.

She said: "I want to know what vaccine he was given, but I have been told by Dr Bhat that there is no way of finding out for certain.

"The doctor telephoned me and admitted he had given Reece the wrong injection. He has not been well since and has been crying every night. Previously he had been a good sleeper, but I am now worried sick.

"I don't think I am going to allow him to have any more jabs."

Baby Reece was taken to Dr Bhat's practice in Higher Heyes, Oswaldtwistle, on January 21 by his dad Paul Burton, 26. He was given the new meningitis C vaccine in one arm and the mystery jab in the other.

The mistake came to light when his mother spotted that Dr Bhat had written in Reece's medical records book that he had been given the MMR jab. She then raised the matter with her health visitor who informed Dr Bhat.

Today Dr Bhat said he had already apologised by telephone to Miss Cooper. He also visited her yesterday to apologise in person.

He said: "I didn't check the baby's age. It was very busy that day and I missed it.

"I wrote down that he was given MMR so I think that is probably the case. There is no way of knowing for certain what he was given. The MMR vaccine will not work on a baby so young and he will need another MMR jab at about 14 months.

"He will also have to come back in about two weeks time for the routine jab that he should have been given.

"I have apologised to the baby's mother. This is a one-off and has never happened before in more than 20 years that I have been here."

An East Lancashire Health Authority spokeswoman said the incident was under investigation.

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