Latest
CLAIM:
Childhood vaccination leads to autism
FACT:
Scientific consensus firmly establishes that childhood vaccinations do not cause autism
A claim that keeps popping up on social media and elsewhere, over and over again, is that vaccinating your child could lead to them developing autism.
Vaccines indeed seem to cause autism.
Shoutout to the pharma-owned community noters who are now forced to work overtime because of this post. pic.twitter.com/zOQCjuaZgd
— Dr. Simon Goddek (@goddeketal) May 10, 2024
I’m starting to think so. In my generation there was only smallpox and polio vaccines. There was NO autism.
— Gabrielle MacDonald 🍎🍎🍎🍎 (@moonstarfarm7) September 19, 2024
The same claim was even echoed by Donald Trump in the past.
Healthy young child goes to doctor, gets pumped with massive shot of many vaccines, doesn't feel good and changes - AUTISM. Many such cases!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 28, 2014
So what are the facts?
The assertion that vaccines cause autism gained traction in the 1990s, when London based physician Andrew Wakefield and others published in the Lancet that they had found a link between the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine and autism. The study was later exposed as flawed and unethical, and was in fact retracted by Lancet in 2010. The study's retraction and Wakefield's loss of medical license underscored the gravity of his misconduct, yet the debate lingered in public discourse.
Numerous large-scale studies have since debunked the purported vaccine-autism link. A Danish study of over 537,000 children found no increased autism risk among MMR-vaccinated individuals. Similarly, a 2019 study involving nearly 660,000 children corroborated these findings. The World Health Organization has emphatically stated that extensive research disproves any causal relationship between vaccines and autism, emphasizing that correlation does not imply causation in this context.
Thimerosal, a mercury-based preservative in some vaccines, also became a focal point of concern in online discussions. However, multiple studies, including those conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, found no evidence linking thimerosal to autism. The preservative's removal from most childhood vaccines in the early 2000s did not affect rising autism rates, further disproving any connection claimed on social platforms.
Autism spectrum disorder is now recognized as a complex condition influenced by genetic and environmental factors. Research suggests that 60-90% of autism risk is attributable to genetics, with environmental influences like parental age or prenatal exposures potentially playing a role. However, these factors are not directly linked to vaccinations, contrary to what some social media posts might suggest.
The scientific consensus firmly establishes that childhood vaccinations do not cause autism. This conclusion is based on extensive research that has consistently disproven any causal relationship. Vaccination remains a crucial public health measure, preventing serious diseases and fostering community protection through herd immunity. The initial claims, rooted in flawed research and often propagated on social media, have been thoroughly discredited, reinforcing the safety and efficacy of immunization programs.
Also read: Debunking 5 autism myths
