So Get the Shots

5 September 2008



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Study Shows No Link between Vaccine and Autism

The measles-mumps-rubella vaccine (MMR) has been alleged to increase the chance a vaccinated child contracts autism. In 1998, a small British study linked autism to the presence of measles RNA in the gastrointestinal tract. A new, large study debunks that finding. It is good news for kids and parents, who should get the kids the shot.

Dr. W. Ian Lipkin, director of the Mailman School of Public Health Center for Infection and Immunity at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, said at a Wednesday teleconference, “We are certain that there’s no link between autism and the MMR.” He added, “We found no evidence that the [gastrointestinal] pathology consistently preceded autism, and we also found that the MMR didn't consistently precede either autism or GI pathology.”

To appreciate what this means, one must go back to 1963, the year the measles vaccine hit the US. Prior to that, the country averaged 3-4 million cases of the measles each year, with 400-500 deaths. It is caused by a highly contagious airborne virus. Complications are common and include diarrhea, pneumonia, encephalitis, and corneal ulceration and scarring.

Naturally, there are parents of autistic children who don’t like the facts. One is Rick Rollens, the father of an autistic son and one of the founding members of the MIND Institute at the University of California. He stated, “This study addresses one hypothesis. This study, by itself, does not exonerate the role of all vaccines. There are many biological mechanisms where environmental factors could present in the development of autism.” However, the study did disprove the hypothesis upon which the link was made.

Dr. Lipkin said, “This was a rigorous analysis. We did this in a blinded fashion, and we are persuaded that there is no link.” He pointed out, “If in fact you want to implicate a factor in the causation of an illness, it must be present before the illness. In the event MMR was responsible for autism, the MMR must precede the onset of autism. There was no evidence . . . MMR preceded either autism or GI problems.” QED, so get the kid the vaccine.

© Copyright 2008 by The Kensington Review, Jeff Myhre, PhD, Editor. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written consent. Produced using Fedora Linux.

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