MMR does NOT cause autism

[kinboshi]

From the Beeb:

Children with autism do not react differently to other youngsters to the MMR jab, a study shows.

London's Guy's and St Thomas's Hospital found no difference in the immune response to the jab in a study of 240 children aged between 10 and 12.

Fears about a link between the two were first raised in 1998, prompting a drop in uptake of the vaccine, but that research has now been discredited.

Studies since have shown there is no link and that has been confirmed again.

More here:

There is no evidence to link the MMR vaccination to autism in children, according to a substantial new study published today.

In the biggest review conducted to date, scientists from Guy's Hospital in London, Manchester University and the Health Protection Agency, analysed the blood from 250 children and concluded that the vaccine could not be responsible.

However, I doubt that this study will get the same feverish tabloid coverage than the discredited one that linked the two in the first place. 

Many parents are still not getting their children vaccinated, and leaving them vulnerable to measles...

Report from last August:

Parents have been urged to give their children the MMR vaccine as it was revealed Britain is in the middle of the worst measles outbreak for 20 years.

The unprecedented warning from the Health Protection Agency came as the number of children suffering from the disease trebled over the last 11 weeks.

Experts fear even more will be infected as the autumn school term begins.

This is the worst outbreak since the controversial MMR vaccine was introduced in 1988.

Take-up of the triple jab - which also protects against mumps and rubella - plummeted to 80 per cent after Dr Andrew Wakefield claimed it was linked to autism and bowel problems.

Leading scientists have since debunked Dr Wakefield's claims and rates of uptake are creeping back to recommended levels - except in London, where a quarter of children are still not vaccinated.

It's amazing how a single, unsubstantiated study can be picked up by the press, and then cause such widespread panic amongst the public.  Then when science shows that the panic or anxiety is unnecessary, people are still convinced in their minds that MMR is 'bad' and ignore the scientific and medical advice.  Bonkers.

[Ginger]

It's too easy to say not having the MMR jab is bonkers, there are many different reasons that parents have to refrain from giving their child the vaccine, not everything is so black and white

It IS a concern to many parents, and would be solved for many by simply offering 3 injections rather than the current single option.

[steeveg]

i think parents who refuse to let there children have the jab should realise its only the parents who have allowed there children to be vaccinated which is keeping there children safe, the diseases have never gone away or never will, i understand there concerns but the more parents who refuse, the more certain an epidemic will break out ,

[AndrewT]

There's a lot of interesting stuff about the MMR/autism thing from a psychology point of view.

How people intrinsically put a higher value on isolated data with a human face (a parent interviewed on the TV with an autistic child who was given the jab) as opposed to a larger, more statistically significant set of data which doesn't have a human face (a study in a medical journal).

How the risk of something bad happening which is perceived as having a proximate cause (autism following an MMR jab) is seen as greater than something which is seen as 'just happening' (child catching measles) even though the actual risk to the child from measles is far, far higher than of that from autism.

A lot more about the MMR/autism thing here - http://www.badscience.net/?cat=21

[littlemissC]

my 10 year old son is severly autistic,he had the MMR jab..my 5 year old daughter did not have it..my choice.it cost me 210pounds for her to have them done seperatly.i feel every parent should have the choice how their child is vaccinated.
im not saying the MMR jab caused Josephs autism but it was my decision not to get Lily immunised the same way.it was a purly selfish reason and one i do not regret for a second.

[kinboshi]

It's too easy to say not having the MMR jab is bonkers, there are many different reasons that parents have to refrain from giving their child the vaccine, not everything is so black and white

I'm not saying that parents having a concern about their children having the MMR jab is bonkers, I was talking about the way an unsupported (and now disproved) 'truth' spreads like an epidemic and yet the scientific studies (and there are many of them) that prove that there is no link between MMR and autism do not carry the same impact.

It IS a concern to many parents, and would be solved for many by simply offering 3 injections rather than the current single option.

Measles should be a concern for many parents, yet there are many who aren't getting their children immunised (with either MMR or 3 separate injections) because of this irrational fear.  Getting the separate vaccinations is a valid alternative if the parent thinks it's necessary, but why should it provided as standard in place of a perfectly safe alternative?

[kinboshi]

my 10 year old son is severly autistic,he had the MMR jab..my 5 year old daughter did not have it..my choice.it cost me 210pounds for her to have them done seperatly.i feel every parent should have the choice how their child is vaccinated.
im not saying the MMR jab caused Josephs autism but it was my decision not to get Lily immunised the same way.it was a purly selfish reason and one i do not regret for a second.

I can understand why you did that, and I don't think anyone would be critical or question what you did. 

If you had another child, would you consider having them vaccinated with MMR or not?

[byronkincaid]

Getting the separate vaccinations is a valid alternative if the parent thinks it's necessary

was almost impossible to obtain a couple of years ago anyway, government had somehow stopped supplies getting in the country or something

[Ginger]

Getting the separate vaccinations is a valid alternative if the parent thinks it's necessary

was almost impossible to obtain a couple of years ago anyway, government had somehow stopped supplies getting in the country or something

Yes, it certainly was impossible to obtain. I was quite surprised when Fran stated that she had managed to use this method as we were refused (and told we would have to go into Europe to get it) As a result, my two girls have never had this vaccine to date, and won't for the foreseeable future unless I can get the single vaccine - nothing to do with the autism risk though.

[littlemissC]

my 10 year old son is severly autistic,he had the MMR jab..my 5 year old daughter did not have it..my choice.it cost me 210pounds for her to have them done seperatly.i feel every parent should have the choice how their child is vaccinated.
im not saying the MMR jab caused Josephs autism but it was my decision not to get Lily immunised the same way.it was a purly selfish reason and one i do not regret for a second.

I can understand why you did that, and I don't think anyone would be critical or question what you did. 

If you had another child, would you consider having them vaccinated with MMR or not?

no i would still go private and have them done seperatly like i did with Lily.

[littlemissC]

Getting the separate vaccinations is a valid alternative if the parent thinks it's necessary

was almost impossible to obtain a couple of years ago anyway, government had somehow stopped supplies getting in the country or something

Yes, it certainly was impossible to obtain. I was quite surprised when Fran stated that she had managed to use this method as we were refused (and told we would have to go into Europe to get it) As a result, my two girls have never had this vaccine to date, and won't for the foreseeable future unless I can get the single vaccine - nothing to do with the autism risk though.

i had to go private Jane.

[Ginger]

Getting the separate vaccinations is a valid alternative if the parent thinks it's necessary

was almost impossible to obtain a couple of years ago anyway, government had somehow stopped supplies getting in the country or something

Yes, it certainly was impossible to obtain. I was quite surprised when Fran stated that she had managed to use this method as we were refused (and told we would have to go into Europe to get it) As a result, my two girls have never had this vaccine to date, and won't for the foreseeable future unless I can get the single vaccine - nothing to do with the autism risk though.

i had to go private Jane.

At the time we were trying to get it for the girls there was no way at all of getting it in the country, we were told flat out that we had no chance of getting it in the UK. Looks like it's time to look into it again.

[littlemissC]

i dont see how that can be the case..Lily is 5 now so this was over 3 years ago.it was a doctor in York that did them.

[Ginger]

The last time I requested the single vaccines would be about 2 years ago (before my move, so might be a little longer) at Booth Hall Children's Hospital, Manchester. I've been after the single vaccine now for MANY years, as my eldest daughter is now 14.

The last time I was refused I was told I would HAVE to agree to the triple, and that the girls would be admitted to a ward, have a team on standby, with adrenalin shots ready for both of them....

Is it any wonder I said no?

[littlemissC]

thats discusting that they would say that to you..im not surprised you said no.