Clinical Corner May 2016

No MMR-Autism Link in Large Study of Vaccinated vs. Unvaccinated

Despite repeated evidence to the contrary, there are those who continue to assert a link between the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine and autism spectrum disorder (ASD), leading to lower vaccination levels.

In the largest-ever study of its kind, researchers again found that the MMR vaccine did not increase risk for ASD. This proved true even among children already considered at high risk for the disorder.

The April 21, 2015 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) reported the results for the study, and an article appeared on the Autism Speaks website (autismspeaks.org).

For the study, researchers analyzed the health records of 95,727 children, including more than 15,000 children unvaccinated at age 2 and more than 8,000 still unvaccinated at age 5. Nearly 2,000 of these children were considered at risk for autism.

The study found no association between the MMR vaccination and increased ASD risk. It also found no evidence that the MMR vaccination was associated with an increased risk of ASD among children who had older siblings with ASD.

To read about this important study, please go to the article on the Autism Speaks website by using this link: https://bit.ly/1QfpH9P.