Vaccines Are Not the Cause of Autism Essay - 604 Words.
The idea of a link between the MMR vaccine and autism came to prominence after the publication of a paper by Andrew Wakefield and others in The Lancet in 1998.
First study In 1998, Andrew Wakefield and colleagues published a paper in the journal Lancet. Wakefield's hypothesis was that the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine caused a series of events that include intestinal inflammation, entrance into the bloodstream of proteins harmful to the brain, and consequent development of autism.
Vaccine ingredients do not cause autism. One vaccine ingredient that has been studied specifically is thimerosal, a mercury-based preservative used to prevent contamination of multidose vials of vaccines. Research shows that thimerosal does not cause ASD.
This helps protect them for a short time against measles, mumps and rubella. These antibodies make the MMR vaccine less effective if it's given to a newborn. By the time a child is 1 year old, these antibodies are almost gone, and the MMR vaccine will be effective.
The hypothesized link between the measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine and autism continues to cause concern and challenge vaccine acceptance almost 2 decades after the controversial and later retracted Lancet paper from 1998 (), even though observational studies have not been able to identify an increased risk for autism after MMR vaccination.In a 2014 meta-analysis, 10 observational studies.
The problem with vaccines is that risks have been underestimated, and the benefits overestimated. In particular, the risk of brain injury from vaccines is much higher than commonly believed. Brain injury can be devastating to the life of a child, and the child’s family. The personal and financial costs of vaccine injury are often enormous.
The paper’s findings led other doctors to do their own research into the link between the MMR vaccine and autism. At least 12 follow-up studies were done. At least 12 follow-up studies were done.