What Is The Link Between The MMR Vaccine, Autism And Bowel Disease?
The controversy about a possible link between the MMR vaccine and autism started in 1998 when scientists published a medical journal article about 12 autistic children that they had studied. They identified a similar bowel condition in all 12 children and made a statement in the paper that they had not proved a link between either of the conditions and the MMR vaccine. This was misinterpreted by the popular press who published reports that there was a link. People with autistic children then started to look at when their child first showed symptoms – autism is rarely recognized in children less than one year old but then behavioural abnormalities start to show up. Most parents recognize there is something wrong by the time their child is about 18 months. As the MMR vaccine is given at 13 months, parents became convinced of an association. Many more studies have not proved that there is no link between autism and the MMR vaccine.
