The truth about vaccination causes autism in children

Vaccines do not cause autism. Many studies have been done to find a link between vaccines and autism. All of them prove that the autism vaccine rumor is incorrect.

Many parents worry when hearing rumors about vaccines causing autism in their children. As a result, some people do not vaccinate their children, leaving them at high risk of serious diseases. So can vaccines really make children with autism? Let aFamilyToday Health learn the following article.

Controversy about the MMR vaccine

The autism vaccine rumor started when an article, published by British researchers in 1998, stated that the measles-mumps-rubella ( MMR ) vaccine causes autism in children. Although the study only involved 12 children, it received a lot of attention from the public. At the same time, the number of children diagnosed with autism increases rapidly. The paper's findings prompted other doctors to conduct their own research on the link between MMR vaccine and autism. At least 10 follow-up studies, all of which found no evidence that the MMR vaccine causes autism.

An investigation into the research process in 1998 revealed many problems with the way research was performed. The magazine that once published that information removed information about vaccines that cause autism in children. Other issues were also surfaced, such as investigators discovering a lawyer who paid more than half a million dollars to a top researcher to prove the link between MMR vaccine and autism. .

Controversy about thimerosal

A year after the MMR vaccine emerged, public fear turned to a substance used in some childhood vaccines. This substance is called mercury-containing thimerosal. Mercury is a metal that can damage the brain and kidneys in high concentrations. The purpose of including thimerosal in vaccines is to prevent bacteria and fungi from growing. Although there is no evidence that the small amount of thimerosal in vaccines is harmful, it was removed from most childhood vaccines in 2001 when the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Public Health Service fell in love with it. bridge.

Studies have also been conducted to see if thimerosal is linked to autism. The researchers compared two groups of children receiving thimerosal-containing vaccines and those vaccinated against the substance. In addition, nine other studies have performed, but found no association between thimerosal and autism. Furthermore, autism diagnoses continued to increase after thimerosal was removed from childhood vaccines. Today, thimerosal is still used in some vaccines to prevent diphtheria , tetanus, and pertussis.

Can the combination vaccine cause autism?

Children receive 25 injections during the first 15 months of life. Some people fear that all vaccines given at a very young age could cause a child to develop autism. Therefore, studies have been conducted to see if a combination of all vaccines needed by children before the age of 2 can trigger autism. The researchers compared groups of children vaccinated according to the recommended schedule and those who were delayed or were not immunized. The study results showed that there was no difference in autism rates between these two groups of children.

After reviewing all published and unpublished studies on vaccines and autism, the Institute of Medicine's Immunization Safety Assessment Committee subsequently released a report on this issue in 2014. The 200-page report confirms that there is no evidence that vaccines cause autism in children.