CDC: Still No Evidence to Support Autism-Vaccination Link

Written by Brian Krans | Published on 29 March 2013

A large-scale study on the number of antigens young children are exposed to through vaccinations concludes that there is still no link between autism and vaccines.

Theres still no evidence to support the claim that an aggressive vaccination schedule in children causes autism, according to the latest research from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Autism affects as many as one in 50 children, according the latest CDC statistics, and up to one-third of parents believe that the disease can be caused by vaccinations. Because of that, one in 10 parents dont follow the CDCs recommended vaccination schedule. But, according to a new study published in the Journal of Pediatrics, theres still no reputable scientific evidence to support the claim that certain vaccines and how soon they are administered can cause autism. Examining the Alleged Link Between Vaccinations and Autism Using data on 256 children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder and 752 children without the developmental condition, researchers at the CDC and Abt Associates, Inc., assessed each childs level of exposure to antigens, the part of vaccines that trigger a response from the immune system to fight off a specific disease. Researchers compared the total number of antigens all the children were exposed to by age twoincluding the maximum number they may have been exposed to in a single dayand determined that the antigen exposure level was the same across both sets of children.

These results indicate that parental concerns that their children are receiving too many vaccines in the first two years of life or too many vaccines at a single doctor's visit are not supported in terms of an increased risk of autism, the study authors concluded. The study was led by Dr. Frank DeStefano, director of the Immunization Safety Office at the CDC. How the Autism-Vaccination Claim Gained Traction The idea that autism is caused by vaccines stems from a now-debunked paper authored by Andrew Wakefield, who submitted research in 1998 claiming that the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine was linked to autism. The publication it appeared in has since retracted the article. Before the research was dubbed pseudoscience, actress and autism activist Jenny McCarthy led a campaign based on Wakefields claims to spread the message that too many vaccines early in life can cause developmental disorders. One large concern for McCarthy was the use of the substance thimerosal, a mercuryheavy preservative used in many vaccines since the 1930s. However, DeStefano published a study last year saying that infants exposed to the chemical dont have an increased risk of developing autism. Too Many Shots in a Day A concern voiced by many parents is that the total number of vaccines a child receives has increased significantly since the late 1990s. Currently, a child may receive up to seven shots in a single day. Researchers said, however, that while children may be getting more shots, the number of antigens they are exposed to has actually decreased since the 1990s, which is why merely counting the number of vaccines a child receives isnt a good way to judge his or her level of exposure. Under the current CDC vaccination schedule, the maximum number of antigens a child is exposed to is 315. In the late 1990s, it was several thousand, researchers said.

While theres still no known cause of or cure for autism, researchers continue to strongly assert that theres no connection between vaccines and autism. Other Myths About Vaccines While no one can fault good-natured parents for wanting to do right by their children, vaccinations are often falsely linked to numerous diseases without scientific evidence. One enduring myth is that flu vaccinations are unsafe for pregnant women. Earlier this year, researchers from the Norwegian Institute of Public Health examined data from pregnancies during the 2009 flu pandemic to determine the safety of flu shots for both the expectant mother and her child. They found that flu vaccinations do not increase the risk of fetal death, and may actually reduce the risk of death brought on by the flu itself. Every year, scientists work to create better, more effective vaccines for children and adults. For example, researchers at Mount Sinai Medical Center believe they've found that the flu virus can tell time, and theyre learning how to exploit that to create better vaccines. More on Healthline.com:

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