Does having the MMR vaccine put children at a greater risk of developing autism? There has been just one study that linked autism to vaccines and this was published in 1998 by the journal The Lancet. What many people do not know is that the journal actually retracted the publishing of the study because it was determined that the findings had been falsified. Every other study that has been conducted regarding the MMR vaccine has show no direct link to autism.
Statistics on MMR Vaccines and Autism
1. 7 studies have now examined the relationship between thimerosal and autism and have concluded that thimerosal containing vaccines do not cause autism.
2. About 1 in 68 children born in 2002 have a diagnosis on the Autism Spectrum Disorder [ASD].
3. In 2004, 10 of the 13 authors of the 1998 study in The Lancet retracted the study’s interpretation. The authors stated that the data was not able to establish a causal link between MMR vaccine and autism.
4. The percentage of children with autism who received MMR vaccine was the same as the percentage of unaffected children in the region who received MMR vaccine.
5. There was no difference in the age of diagnosis of autism in vaccinated and unvaccinated children in studies that followed children from 1979-1998 with autism.
6. The onset of “regressive” symptoms of autism has not occurred within 2, 4, or 6 months of receiving the MMR vaccine.
7. In 2004, a report by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) concluded that there is no association between autism and MMR vaccine or vaccines that contain thimerosal as a preservative.
8. There is no published scientific evidence showing that there is any benefit to separating the combination MMR vaccine into three individual shots.
9. Autism may be noted initially in infancy as impaired attachment, but autism is most often first identified in toddlers, mostly boys, from 18-30 months of age.
10. In 1989-90, there was a measles epidemic, resulting in 55,000 cases of measles, 11,000 hospitalizations, and 123 deaths. The majority of these cases were in unimmunized preschool children.
11. Of every 1,000 people who get measles, about 2 of those people will die from the disease.
12. Up to 6% of those who catch the mumps will wind up with meningitis.
13. Inflammation of the testicles occurs in about 40% of men who get the mumps, which may lead to sterility.
14. In 1998 and 1999 all US measles cases reported were linked to imported cases.
15. Before the MMR vaccine, the number of people in the US who got measles every year: up to 4 million.
16. The annual number of measles cases in the United States today: 450.
17. The most common complication of the measles vaccine is a headache and fever, happening in 15% of total cases.
18. MMR is administered just before the peak age of onset of autism symptoms. This timing leads some parents to mistakenly assume a causal relationship.
19. It is believed that over 6,200 people have died because of diseases they caught which could have been prevented with a vaccine since 2007.
20. A February 1981 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association found that 90% of obstetricians and 66% of pediatricians refused to take the rubella vaccine.
Studies on Vaccinations
It isn’t even the amount of vaccines that a child receives at the same time that is problematic. Studies have shown that vaccines in general do not raise the risks of any disorder developing anywhere on the autism spectrum. Autism is not more common in children who are vaccinated and numerous, reputable scientific studies have show this to be true – including some that have been published in The Lancet since 1998.
Yet the notion that autism is linked to the MMR vaccine continues to live on. Why is this? Part of the reason might be the disinformation campaign that is being waged by those who support the anti-vaccination movement. The 1998 study is often cited as the primary evidence in why children shouldn’t be vaccinated. The case of a Washington Redskins cheerleader having strange symptoms after receiving a flu vaccination is also widely circulated. In the end, however, here is a shocking statistic: the anti-vaccination movement is based on an overall study of just 13 people.
There are some other interesting MMR autism statistics which you may be interested in as well. These statistics all point toward the fact that autism may not actually be triggered at all, but may in fact be a genetic disorder.
Common Concerns
There are two primary concerns that come with taking a vaccine: allergies and disease development. In some vaccines, such as polio, there is the potential of developing a mild form of the disease from the vaccine – especially if the Sabin polio vaccine is administered, which is not the standard treatment today. Most vaccines, however, provide a small window of discomfort, which hands out a virtual lifetime of immunities. The risks are well worth the reward.
Then there’s the issue of allergies. There are some individuals who may be allergic to the components of the MMR vaccine and this may cause initial symptoms that look like autism. Instead of being chronic, however, allergic reactions are acute and often followed by a rash, trouble breathing, hives, and swelling. For those sensitive to vaccinations, there are alternative options that can still provide immunities to a child.
The bottom line is this: the MMR vaccine does not cause any ASD diagnosis whatsoever.
How can we come together to alleviate the fears which people have regarding vaccines and the health of their children? The only thing that really can be done is education. We can provide people with solid proof about the benefits of vaccines and then allow them to make their own choices. Some people will always choose not to vaccinate their children because they are convinced that statistics like those above are 100% false. Nothing said or done will change their mind.
We can’t force people to vaccinate their children. Parents still have the choice to seek out what they believe is appropriate medical care. By sharing statistics like these, however, maybe a few minds can be changed.