A study published this month in Pediatrics may finally put to rest the hypothesis that MMR, and specifically measles vaccine, may be linked to autism.
Starting in 1998, several laboratory reports suggested that there was indeed a link between the MMR vaccine, or the measles component, and autism. These studies reported finding measles virus or genes in intestinal and other cells from children with colitis accompanied by autism.
Extensive population-based research worldwide since then has consistently shown that there is no link between MMR vaccine and autism spectrum disorders; however, the laboratory evidence was still in question. Now research clearly shows that the initial laboratory reports were in error; using more modern genetic lab techniques, there is no detectable measles genetic material (RNA)in children with autism. Interestingly, they were also able to demonstrate the initial laboratory errors resulting in the false-positive results.
In addition to this one study, another research group demonstrated the same findings and published the findings earlier in 2006 in a different journal. And it has now been reported that there actually has been a third study showing errors in detecting measles RNA that was reported to a Congressional Committee in 2001.
Both laboratory and population-based research now clearly shows that there is no evidence at all of any link between MMR vaccine and autism spectrum disorders. I am not necessarily in favor of giving every vaccine that comes along to every child; however, I am definitely not in favor of blaming a disease on a drug or vaccine when there is no evidence at all and when, in fact, there is evidence to the contrary. We should not make medical decisions based on emotion but on facts, and hopefully the facts here are finally clear. At this time, there is nothing to suggest any link between the MMR or measles vaccine and autism.