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Childhood Vaccinations and Autism

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, autism affects one in 110 children as of 2010. The connection between autism and childhood vaccinations has been a subject of clinical research. If you are a parent, you may wonder whether or not to get your child immunized. If your child has autism, you may wonder if vaccines were responsible.

  1. MMR Vaccine and Autism

    • The current vaccine that the Autism Research Institute and others believe is responsible for their child having autism is the MMR (Measles Mumps Rubella) vaccine. The reason for this is that the vaccine has thimerosal in it, which contains a small amount of mercury.

    Scientific Opinion

    • According to a 2008 article on Action for Autism, the scientific and medical community has been unable to show any correlation between autism and the MMR vaccine. The exception is Dr. Andrew Wakefield who originally brought the vaccine under suspicion in 1998.

    Dr. Andrew Wakefield

    • In 1998, Dr. Andrew Wakefield wrote an article in "The Lancet" medical journal that claimed the MMR vaccine was responsible for autism. However, Dr. Wakefield has pending charges against him from the General Medical Council in the United Kingdom for his research in regards to the MMR vaccine and its correlation to autism.

    2009 Supreme Court Ruling

    • In 2009, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that there was no correlation between vaccinations and autism.

    Parents Continue to Blame Vaccines

    • Despite no scientific evidence and a Supreme Court ruling, a connection is still suspected between childhood vaccinations and autism. Several parents, such as Jenny McCarthy, claim that their autistic child was perfectly normal until after receiving their vaccines.

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