HOMEOPATHS have been warned against dishing vaccine advice out to patients by a powerful group of trade bodies, following a Daily Telegraph investigation.

4Homeopathy – whose members represent thousands of practitioners across Britain - instructed homeopaths that they should “defer” any questions about vaccinations to people such as GPs who are “medically trained to answer them”.

The warning comes after a Telegraph investigation found that some homeopaths were cautioning patients not to vaccinate their children against measles and other life-threatening diseases.

Some of the homeopaths were filmed telling undercover reporters that vaccinations can trigger autism, even though the research that first alleged a link has been debunked by the scientific community.

Others warned journalists posing as mothers not to inform schools or other parents if they chose not to give their children the jabs.

The investigation follows a surge in measles cases in the UK, and a drop in childhood vaccination rates for every major illness – described by health chiefs as “unacceptable”.

Measles, mumps and rubella can have potentially fatal complications, including meningitis, brain damage and deafness, according to the NHS.

In a statement entitled “Homeopathy and vaccination are separate topics”, 4 Homeopathy said: “Homeopathic medicines are prescribed on an individual basis to match a patient’s specific symptoms.