Study Shows No Link Between MMR Vaccine and Autism

No matter what the evidence shows, some people will simply not accept the fact that the hypothesis that vaccines are causative of autism has been debunked once and for all.

The research, which involved the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, concluded that the measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine does not cause the neurological disorder that affects 1 in 150 children in the nation.

“We are confident there’s no link between MMR and autism,” said Dr. W. Ian Lipkin, director of the Mailman School of Public Health Center for Infection and Immunity at Columbia University.

In New Jersey, which has the highest rate of autism in the nation — 1 in 94 children — the study should help parents rule out concerns that the vaccine can cause the disorder, said Dr. Irwin Berkowitz, director of pediatrics at the Valley Hospital in Ridgewood.

“There’s harm in not vaccinating and that’s the message that’s got to get across,’’ he said.

In fact, as of July, the CDC reported 131 cases of measles — the highest number since 1996. Ninety-one percent of the cases occurred in people who were not immunized.

The study again refutes the findings of research completed in 1998 that linked the vaccine to autism after the presence of the measles virus was detected in tissue from children diagnosed with autism and gastrointestinal (GI) disorders.

Experts on Wednesday said their research of 25 children with autism and a control group of 13 with normal neurological development found no link between the presence of the measles virus in tissue and autism.

Expect those who oppose vaccination to then claim that it is a combination of vaccines or the number of vaccines that contributes to the autism rate. That's a question that is still open and not addressed by this study, but it should not be a reason to avoid giving your children vaccines that can prevent illnesses such as measles or mumps. These are preventable diseases that can themselves lead to complications such as pneumonia.