The Autism-Vaccination Smack Down

MMR Vaccine Not Linked to Autism

Ding, ding! The vaccine debate is once again entering the ring. A study published in Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) on April 21, 2015 is packing a big punch.

This JAMA study looked at more than 95,000 children and found no association between the MMR vaccine and autism spectrum disorders, even if the child already had a sibling with autism. It is the largest study to take a good hard look at the autism-vaccine debate and is even more convincing as it looks and finds no association in high-risk populations.

For years, anti-vaxxers have been led to believe that vaccines contributed to diagnoses of autism and similar disorders. Much of the information has been anecdotal, but some was allegedly based in science. That science, however, was not sound.

Back in 1998, Dr. Andrew Wakefield falsified data in a study published in the British medical journal Lancet. In the study, he evaluated 12 participants and laid claims that the MMR vaccine (measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine) predisposed children to autism spectrum disorders. Despite the small study size, conflicts of interest (he was paid by lawyers suing pharmaceutical companies that made vaccines), and poor study design (he selected the highest risk children and outright manipulated data), the study led to a vaccine uproar worldwide. It was the straw that broke parents backs. After all, what parent would not want to protect their child against autism?

Dr. Wakefield’s study was retracted from Lancet in 2010 after the facts of his wrongdoings came to light. The trouble is that once the science was refuted, parents could not back away from the idea that vaccines, especially the MMR vaccine, could harm their children. The idea was out there, and as more anecdotal stories were being shared, the movement intensified.

The Lancet study was not alone in promoting the anti-vaccination movement, but it was certainly the ringleader. It was also not the only study to be retracted. In 2006, a study in Autoimmunity Reviews claimed that thimerosal, a mercury-based preservative in some vaccines, contributed to autism spectrum disorders. Again, financial gain and unethical protocols deemed the study invalid. Today, no link has been proven between thimerosal and autism spectrum disorders.

This hasn’t stopped celebrities like Jenny McCarthy, Charlie Sheen, Alicia Silverstone, Mayim Bialik, Holly Robinson Peete, Aidan Quinn, and even Donald Trump from banding against vaccinations. It doesn’t help that Dr. Mehmet Oz promotes fear-mongering on his show, a debate for another article. With celebrities in the public eye more often than medical professionals, it is no wonder that parents remain confused about what to believe.

Vaccinations were developed against diseases that had serious symptoms and risks for children. Many of these diseases have no known treatment and can cause long-term complications. In some cases, these diseases can even be fatal. Not vaccinating children increases these diseases in the general population and puts others at risk, a major public health concern. In 2013 alone, the World Health organization reported 145,700 deaths from measles worldwide. The CDC estimates that 1 in 1,000 children with the measles will die from the disease. Despite near eradication of the disease in 2000, the United States has had a significant number of outbreaks in recent years.

This JAMA article should offer reassurance that the MMR vaccine does not cause autism. Children who are not vaccinated are at higher risk for getting the disease the vaccination protects against than from getting autism.