In the last decade, the rate of autism has experienced a dramatic increase (Gerber 1). There used to be a speculation of an apparent correlation between the numbers of vaccines children receive and the increase of autism. A predominant controversy regarding vaccinations was whether or not one of the side effects of vaccines is Autism Spectrum Disorder. The probability of vaccines in children resulting in autism was challenged by various researchers from around the world has proven to be untrue (Gerber 2, 3, 5). The importance of vaccination is being underestimated by a number of parents in today’s society and that has a large impact on the immunity herd.*talk about the 3 hyp* In general, children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are …show more content…
The final hypothesis was that the simultaneous administration of multiple vaccines overwhelms and weakens the immune system (Gerber 1).
The most predominant hypothesis was regarding the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine. Studies conducted in Canada, Finland, Denmark, United States and United Kingdom all reached the same conclusion: the increase in the rate of autism is not directly correlated with the MMR vaccine (Gerber 3-4). This vaccination is given at an age where often the first symptoms of autism emerge. Typically around 15 to 18 months when toddlers start to walk and are expected to develop language. According to the studies made by Meldgaard and his team, “there was no sharp increase in the prevalence of autism after the introduction of the MMR vaccine.” (Meldgaard 2). For instance, the risk of autism in vaccinated and unvaccinated children is the same. People may associate these conditions to the MMR vaccine because of the timing of the vaccine and the first symptoms of autism (Meldgaard 4). This explains why the MMR vaccine was the predominant hypothesis of the cause of autism, even though it has been proven not to be true.
The second hypothesis that emerged was regarding a vaccine ingredient. One ingredient that has been studied specifically is thimerosal, which was used as a preservative in many recommended childhood vaccines. Thimerosal is an antibacterial compound that has been used effectively in multi-dose vaccine preparation for more than 50 years.
The researchers looked over the health records of 95,727 children, including more than 15,000 children unvaccinated at age 2 and more than 8,000 still unvaccinated at age 5. 2,000 of these children were considered at risk for autism because they were born into families that already had a child with the disorder.The study looked at the autism rates and MMR vaccination at ages 2, 3, 4 and 5 years olds. It showed no increase in Autism in any age. Autism rates we surprisingly lower in vaccinated
Autism Spectrum Disorder is defined as a neurodevelopmental condition that is classified by a triad of impairments. These impairments are in communication, socialization, and repetitive patterns of behavior (Wolf, 2004). Autism affects about 1% of the current population (Shishido, Branko, & Norio, 2013). This disorder seems like a common diagnosis in the current day in age but the disorder was only discovered around sixty years ago. The two founding researchers that discovered the disorder are Kanner and Asperger. Since then there has been a significant amount of research on the disorder and they have narrowed down the criteria associated with Autism. Since the discovery of Autism Spectrum Disorder, there has been many debates on what causes this condition. When it was, a recent discovery scientist thought it could have been caused by many factors including psychological conditions and poor parenting. Now research has shifted in another direction (Wolf, 2004). In recent years, there has been a debate if childhood vaccinations or genetic mutations cause the disorder. This debate has led many parents to stop vaccinating their children in case it does cause the disorder. In 2010 (de los Reyes) the immunization rates fell to 80%. These parents’ decisions greatly effects the nation’s public health so it has fueled even more research to find the cause. A very common vaccine that has been said to cause the disorder is the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine or the MMR vaccine. This
Many people who belong with the anti-vaccine movement are individuals who blame MMR (mumps-measles-rubella) vaccine for autism. It has now been found through several studies, that vaccines do not cause autism (Taylor, 2006). “In 2011 the vaccine-autism connection was described as “the most damaging medical hoax of the last 100 years”
These components can cause autism on their own or possibly when combined with exposure to environmental factors that have not yet been classified. A small number of cases can be linked to genetic disorders such as Fragile X, Tuberous Sclerosis, and Angelman’s Syndrome. In an article on Health &Wellness- Tree.com many families link vaccines with autism and this has been an intense debate for almost a decade. On one side are the families of autistic children, many of whom are convinced that the link between autism and vaccines is real. On the other side researchers who have conducted numerous medical studies, some involving thousands of children, have found NO evidence linked to autism and vaccines. There are suggestions that the reason several parents blame immunizations is that it is the one common factor among children corresponds with the age in which the children receive their immunization for Measles Mumps and Rubella. (Health &Wellness 1) “The autism linked to vaccine side of the argument does have a smoking gun to point to: thimerosal. Thimerosal was an ingredient in childhood vaccines until 1999, when pharmaceutical companies bowed to public pressure
proven that it is safe to inject the number and volume of vaccines that we do in the United States” (Mercola). Child vaccinations used to be filled with a toxin known as
Countless deem that the definite reason for autism is not the dead or live virus found in vaccines but the derivatives’ within them. “Exposure to thimerosal, a mercury-containing preservative that is used in vaccines and immunoglobulin preparations, has been hypothesized to be associated with increased risk of autism spectrum disorder (ASD)” (Price, et al., 2010). This continues to remain merely speculation. The Centers for Disease Control research analysis’ do not corroborate toxicity of these preservatives. Mercury produces verified detrimental effects on children when absorbed in the gastrointestinal tract. Vaccinations are not absorbed in the GI tract and are instead absorbed in the muscles or subcutaneous tissues, depending on the route of injection.
Throughout research done on the possible link between vaccines and autism, there have been three hypotheses: (1) the combination MMR vaccine causes autism by damaging the intestinal lining, which allows the entrance of encephalopathic proteins; (2) thimerosal, an ethylmercury-containing preservative
Vaccinations are something that is none around the world. It is supported in many countries but in others it is not. In the United States there is a constant controversy as to whether to vaccinate or not. Most parents in our society opt for the vaccination process to protect their children in any way they can. Although, many parents do not see it that way. The controversy of childhood vaccination spans back more than just a few years it goes back as far as the 18th century (Nelson) but the fact of the matter is childhood vaccinations have very few side effects, there have been very few lines between autism and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) (“Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and Vaccines”; Shea, Diekema), and when children come in to contact with diseases they are not vaccinated for it can cause nationwide pandemic (Nelson; “Should Any Vaccines Be Required for Children?”).
The risk of Autism through vaccination theory was once again disproved by a study conducted in 2013 by the Journal of Pediatrics. At the head of the study was Dr. Frank DeStefano, who is the director of the Immunization Safety Office at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The study was conducted using 256 children who had autism and 752 children who did not (Lindeman para 3). By looking at “antigens, the substances in vaccines that cause the body’s immune
There is no doubt that the number of vaccines recommended by health care professionals and government agencies has increased rapidly since 1980. Furthermore, vaccines have also changed in how they are made, which is unknown or poorly understood by the general public. While reviewing the literature, this was shown in the article, “Vaccines and Autism: A Tale of Shifting Hypotheses”, by Gerber & Offit (2009), where they discuss how vaccines have changed overtime. The authors state that today a single vaccine use uses less than 200 bacterial and viral proteins or polysaccharides compared to over 3000 immunological components used in 1980. In addition, the amount of protein chemistry and recombinant DNA has also increased. This helps cut back on vaccine-related reactions, because the vaccine only resembles a microbe and doesn’t function on one.
But the most serious risks, such as severe allergic reactions, are rarer than the diseases vaccines protect against. Other people argue that the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine, in particular, might cause autism. The authors refute these ideas by saying that studies have shown that there is no link between the two. Their conclusion is “To counteract the fears and misperceptions associated with vaccine campaigns, the research community and governmental agencies need to be proactive with regard to continued vaccine education, guiding public perception with rigorous scientific research on vaccine safety and emphasizing the importance of vaccination in preventing unwanted and potentially lethal infectious
In 1988, it was falsely stated by Dr. Wakefield in his series featured in a journal that the MMR vaccine was the potential cause of autism. Ever since, many people have believed vaccinations have some connection with autism, especially parents with autistic children. However, science and research have shown that his claim was false and that there is no evident link between vaccines and autism. Scientists studied vaccines, and their data showed that there was no relationship between autism and vaccinations, autism and MMR, vaccination and thimerosal, and vaccination and mercury. The data also showed that there is no evidence of increased risk of developing ASD after taking the MMR vaccine. This doesn’t mean that doctors have cancelled out the connection between vaccines and all disorders, but autism definitely has no link. Also, if parents think not vaccinating their child will prevent them from getting autism, research has shown that kids who are vaccinated have the same rates of getting autism than those who haven’t. So if you are a parent deciding whether or not to vaccinate your child, autism isn’t something you should consider.
ASD stands for Autism Spectrum Disorder and parents believed that young infants and toddlers were vulnerable to thimerosal and would ultimately suffer from ASD. In the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s “Vaccines Do Not Cause Autism,” research was done on children under the age of two to locate any connection between vaccines and autism in 2013. They state in their study they looked at the number of antigens from vaccines in the ages of children ranging between birth and two years of age. The results showed that the total amount of antigen from vaccines received in children with or without ASD were the same (CDC). This case study proved that all
Autism is a condition typified by abnormal qualitative development of social interactions, communication and imagination, with restricted and repetitive interests and activities (Edward Purssell RGN, RSCN, PhD of the University of London). What causes autism? Many parents like to say that the vaccination MMR has caused their child to have autism later in life. Purssell and other authors and doctors have done countless research to find out the truth about MMR and their being a link between the vaccine MMR and autism. On February 28, 1998, Andrew Wakefield, a gastroenterologist did a paper about eight children whose first symptoms appeared after a month after they had received the MMR vaccine. All of those children had signs of gastrointestinal disease. From what Wakefield observed, the MMR vaccine caused intestinal inflammation, that lead to the blood stream and eventually to the brain where it affected development. Backing this up,
Permanent brain damage from the pertussis vaccine is not the only psychological concern posed by immunization. A possible link between Autism & the MMR vaccine was found by Dr. Andrew Wakefield who studied 12 autistic children who developed autistic symptoms soon after the vaccine. His study did not however provide sufficient evidence for causation. In the case of these children, there is a potential confounding variable. The MMR vaccine is usually given around the same age that autism symptoms begin to show. Based on the number of children