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| | ==Tags: #pro-vaccination #autism #thimerosal #research-list==
Autism and Vaccines
On a previous version of this page, the allegations contained in a lawsuit brought by Andrew Wakefield were inadvertently mischaracterized as conclusions of the court. We regret this error.
Beyond the Autism/Vaccine Hypothesis: What Parents Need to Know about Autism Research
A decade ago most researchers agreed that we needed to study vaccines in relation to autism. We had to reconcile the fact that the number of vaccines children were receiving was increasing, and at the same time, the number of children who were being diagnosed with autism also was on the rise. Fortunately this was a question that could be studied – and answered – by science. We looked at children who received vaccines and those who didn’t, or who received them on a different, slower schedule. There was no difference in their neurological outcomes. Multiple studies have been completed which investigated the measles, mumps and rubella vaccination in relation to autism. Researchers have also studied thimerosal, a mercury-based preservative, to see if it had any relation to autism. The results of studies are very clear; the data show no relationship between vaccines and autism. Read the studies themselves below and browse our recommended reading list.
Read the Science
Literature Reviews: Autism and Vaccines
On-time Vaccine Receipt in the First Year Does Not Adversely Affect Neuropsychological Outcomes**** http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/abstract/125/6/1134 Pediatrics__ Smith, M and Woods, C__ June 2010
Vaccines and Autism: A Tale of Shifting Hypotheses**** http://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/full/10.1086/596476 Clinical Infectious Diseases__ Offit, Paul and Gerber, Jeffrey S.__ Feb. 2009
"Immunization Safety Review: Vaccines and Autism"**** http://www.iom.edu/CMS/3793/4705/20155.aspx Institute of Medicine**** May 2004
Too Many Too Soon?
Addressing Parents' Concerns: Do Multiple Vaccines Overwhelm or Weaken the Infant's Immune System?**** http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/109/1/124 Pediatrics__ Offit, Paul A., Quarles, Jessica, et al.__ 2002
Immunization Safety Review: Multiple Immunizations and Immune Dysfunction**** http://www.iom.edu/CMS/3793/4705/4432.aspx Institute of Medicine__ February 2002
Cellular Immune Responses in Neonates**** http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/contentcontent=a790107447db=all~order=page International Reviews of Immunology__ Fadel S, Sarazotti M.__ 2000
Neonatal and Early Life Vaccinology**** http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11348697 Vaccine__ Siegrist CA.__ 2001
The Problem with Dr. Bob's Alternative Vaccine Schedule**** http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/123/1/e164?maxtoshow=&HITS=10&hits=10&RESULTFORMAT=&fulltext=offit&searchid=1&FIRSTINDEX=0&sortspec=date&resourcetype=HWCIT Pediatrics__ Offit, Paul A. and Moser, Charlotte A.__ January 2009
Thimerosal and Autism Studies
Neuropsychological performance 10 years after immunization in infancy with thimerosal-containing vaccines.**** http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/abstract/123/2/475?maxtoshow=&HITS=10&hits=10&RESULTFORMAT=&fulltext=neuropsychological+performance&searchid=1&FIRSTINDEX=0&sortspec=relevance&resourcetype=HWCIT Pediatrics__ Tozzi AE, Bisiacchi P, Tarantino V, De Mei B, D'Elia L, Chariotti F, Salmaso S.__ January 2009
Continuing Increases in Autism Reported to California's Developmental Services System**** http://archpsyc.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/65/1/19 Archives of General Psychiatry__ Robert Schechter, MD, MSc and Judith K. Grether, PhD__ January 2008
Early Thimerosal Exposure and Neuropsychological Outcomes at 7 to 10 Years**** http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/357/13/1281 New England Journal of Medicine__ Thompson WW, Price C, Goodson B, et al.__ September 2007
Lack of Association Between Rh Status, Rh Immune Globulin in Pregnancy and Autism**** http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/abstract/114264055/ABSTRACT American Journal of Medical Genetics__ Judith H. Miles and T. Nicole Takahashi__ May 2007
Comparison of Blood and Brain Mercury Levels in Infant Monkeys Exposed to Methylmercury or Vaccines Containing Thimerosal**** http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dop... Environmental Health Perspectives__ Thomas M. Burbacher, PhD__ April 2005
Thimerosal Exposure in Infants and Developmental Disorders: A Prospective Cohort Study in the United Kingdom Does Not Support a Causal Association**** http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dop... Pediatrics__ John Heron and Nick Andrews, PhD and Jean Golding, DSc__ September 2004
Neurotoxic Effects of Postnatal Thimerosal Are Mouse Strain Dependent**** http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dop... Molecular Psychiatry__ M Hornig, M__ June 2004
Safety of Thimerosal-Containing Vaccines: A Two-Phased Study of Computerized Health Maintenance Organization Database**** http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dop... Pediatrics__ Thomas Verstraeten, MD__ November 2003
Association Between Thimerosal-Containing Vaccine and Autism**** http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dop... Journal of the American Medical Association__ Anders Hviid, MSc__ October 2003
Thimerosal and the Occurrence of Autism: Negative Ecological Evidence from Danish Population-Based Data**** http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dop... Pediatrics__ Kreesten M. Madsen, MD__ September 2003
"Autism and Thimerosal-Containing Vaccines: Lack of Consistent Evidence for an Association"**** http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dop... American Journal of Preventive Medicine__ Paul Stehr-Green, DrPh, MPH__ August 2003
Thimerosal and Autism?**** http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dop... Pediatrics__ Karen Nelson, MD__ March 2003
Mercury concentrations and metabolism in infants receiving vaccines containing thiomersal: A descriptive study**** http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dop... The Lancet__ Michael Pichichero, MD__ November 2002
Measles-Mumps-Rubella (MMR) Vaccine and Autism Studies
Remembering How to Fight Measles  http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/28/opinion/remembering-how-to-fight-measl... New York Times__ Paul A. Offit, MD__ March 2014
How to Think About the Risk of Autism**** http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/30/opinion/sunday/how-to-think-about-the-... New York Times__ Sam Wang, Ph.D.__ March 2014
Lack of Association Between Measles Virus Vaccine and Autism with Enteropathy: A Case-Control Study**** http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi/10.1371/journal.pone.0003140 PLoS One__ Hornig M, Briese T, Buie T, Bauman ML, Lauwers G, et al.__ September 2008
Measles Vaccination and Antibody Response in Autism Spectrum Disorders**** http://adc.bmj.com/cgi/content/abstract/adc.2007.122937v1?maxtoshow=&HIT... Archives of Disease in Childhood__ Gillian Baird, F.R.C.Paed.__ February 2008
Pervasive Developmental Disorders in Montreal, Quebec, Canada: Prevalence and Links With Immunizations**** http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Retrieve&dop... Pediatrics__ Eric Fombonne, MD__ July 2006
MMR Vaccination and Pervasive Developmental Disorders: A Case-Control Study**** http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dop... The Lancet__ Liam Smeeth, MRCGP__ September 11, 2004
Association of Autistic Spectrum Disorder and the Measles, Mumps, and Rubella Vaccine**** http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dop... Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine__ Kumanan Wilson, MD, MSc, FRCP__ July 2003
Neurologic Disorders After Measles-Mumps-Rubella Vaccination**** http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dop... Pediatrics__ Annamari Makela, MD__ November 2002
No Evidence for a New Variant of Measles-Mumps-Rubella-Induced Autism**** http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dop... Pediatrics__ Eric Fombonne, FRCPsych__ October 2001
Autism and Vaccines in the Media
On January 21st, 2011, Dr. Paul Offit was on The Colbert Report speaking about his new book, "Deadly Choices: How The Anti-Vaccine Movement Threatens Us All." Click Here to Watch the Interview.
What's Next?
If we ask the same questions we’ll get the same answers. We’ve asked the autism vaccine question over two dozen times and each time we get the same response; no relationship. We need to move on; We need to invest in studying genetics, the brain structures of children with autism, and environmental factors that may be playing a role.
Downloadable Materials
Below are three fact-sheets prepared by physicians at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. They are excellent resources to distribute at events.
- Vaccines and Autism: What You Should Know
- The Facts about Childhood Vaccines
- Vaccine Ingredients: What You Should Know
Below are two tables prepared by the initiative Every Child By Two. These tables summarize the major procedures and conclusions of the most recent studies regarding autism and Thimerosal, as well as autism and the MMR vaccine.