Fact or Fiction? Autism
FACT: Vaccines do not cause autism.
People with autism think about and experience the world differently than other people.
These differences can include a person’s social interaction, speech, and behavior. Autism can be a complex diagnosis, but it is a normal part of human diversity.
Over the last 20 years, the rate at which children are diagnosed with autism has increased. However, the criteria for diagnosing autism has also expanded. People who would not have been diagnosed in the past might be today.
It’s a matter of timing.
After an autism diagnosis, parents and caregivers may wonder what caused autism in their child. Children receive the MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) vaccine around 12 – 15 months. This is the same age when children begin to show diagnosable signs of autism. Because of this timing, caregivers might think the vaccine is connected to their child’s autism diagnosis.
Scientists are still learning what causes autism.
The increase in autism diagnoses has led researchers to explore the causes of autism. Current theories suggest that it is genetic and present starting before birth. For instance, studies of twins found that if one identical twin is diagnosed with autism, it is about 90% likely that their twin will also be diagnosed. Researchers continue to look for other potential contributing factors.
Fortunately, whether vaccines or vaccine ingredients cause autism has been answered by science. The results are clear: vaccines do not cause autism.
One fraudulent study sparked enduring doubt.
Many concerns about a link between vaccines and autism come from a study published by Andrew Wakefield in a research journal called The Lancet. The study included 12 children. It found that the children began to experience the first signs of developmental differences shortly after getting the MMR vaccine. Wakefield was unable to find a clear scientific link between MMR and autism; yet, he concluded that the MMR vaccine should not be used.
In 2010, The Lancet retracted the study. They discovered that Wakefield acted unethically while conducting his research. Wakefield took blood samples from children at his son’s birthday party. Children in Wakefield’s study underwent unnecessary invasive procedures. He also failed to disclose that he received funding from parents who already had concerns about the MMR vaccine. The British Medical Council found Wakefield guilty on 30 charges of professional misconduct. They took away his medical license and stopped him from practicing medicine.
This fraudulent study has led some caregivers to distrust the MMR vaccine and refuse it for their children. It also ultimately contributed to the resurgence of measles across the world. In the 20 years following the study, there were over 12,000 cases of measles in the UK. In 2014 and 2019, the U.S. experienced measles outbreaks which sickened nearly 2,000 people combined.
In response to Wakefield’s falsified study, concern over a possible link between vaccines and autism grew. This led researchers to produce dozens of studies across the world looking for any association between vaccines and autism.
None of these studies have been able to recreate Wakefield’s findings or find any connection between the MMR vaccine and autism.
Does thimerosal cause autism?
This is also true for thimerosal. Thimerosal is a preservative that has been used for decades in multi-dose vaccines and medicines to prevent bacterial growth. Thimerosal has not been used in childhood vaccines since 2001, except in some types of influenza vaccine. Numerous studies have shown that there is no link between thimerosal and autism.
After a decade of research, we can confidently say vaccines do not cause autism.
This means that as a parent or caregiver, you can be confident in choosing to immunize your children. It also means that experts can focus on researching autism and providing better support for the autistic community.
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