Does MMR cause Autism?
There is no evidence that MMR causes autism. Speculation about a link between the 2 arose following the publication of a paper by Dr Wakefield in the Lancet in 1998. Many national and international experts and agencies, including those with no links to government, have reviewed Dr Wakefield’s theories and papers and can find no evidence whatsoever to support a link between MMR and autism. Many other well-conducted studies have also failed to establish a link between the two. The most recent study involved over half a million children in Denmark, 82% of whom had received MMR vaccine. This study collected detailed information on all the children, including their autism status. No association was found between MMR and autism in this very well conducted and large study.
