MYTH
1- CHILDHOOD VACCINES CAUSE AUTISM
The Origin
In 1998, the British gastroenterologist Andrew Wakefield published a study in The Lancet claiming a link between autism and the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine children receive. The finding terrified parents and reverberates to this day. According to CDC data, nonmedical exemptions for school-required immunizations are rising in 11 states. Measles is an illness that can kill. Despite that, a 2015 CNN poll found anti-vaxxer parents more likely to be wealthier, white, and college educated. Of those surveyed, 57 percent cited “concerns about autism” as the reason for not vaccinating their kids.
The Truth
The Lancet retracted the Wakefield study in 2010, citing invalid science. As it turns out, Wakefield had committed fraud by taking money from vaccine injury lawyers and falsifying data. He later lost his medical license. The American Academy of Pediatrics now lists 20 pages of studies and other evidence showing no link between vaccines and autism. Researchers also warn that a mere 5 percent decline in MMR immunizations among 2- to 11-year-olds would triple the annual number of measles cases in this age group nationwide, resulting in $2.1 million in yearly health care expenditures and needlessly claiming young lives.
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