MMR Vaccine: Mumps, Measles And Rubella

The controversy over the MMR vaccine started in the late 1990’s when Andrew Wakefield suggested that there was a connection between the MMR vaccine and autism in a scientific paper which he had published with several other co-authors. Although there has not been a proven fact that the MMR vaccine is the causation to autism it has brought concerns to parents and has caused a major drop in immunization rates. For example, Dannetun et al., 2005 states that, “Fear of side effects and beliefs

Although the MMR link to autism is one of the most recent anti-vaccine incidences, the anti-vaccine movement didn’t begin with the suggestion that MMR caused autism. Previous vaccine scare incidences arose prior to the 1998 study on MMR that fueled more anti-vaccine sentiments. Offit (2011) claims that the modern American anti-vaccine movement began when a documentary titled DPT: Vaccine Roulette, aired on April 19, 1982. The documentary questioned the safety and effectiveness of the diphtheria and tetanus toxoids and pertussis vaccine (DPT). It claimed that after investigating the pertussis portion of the vaccine they found that the DPT vaccine could damage to a devastating degree. Although many people believed the reports, the claim that the pertussis vaccine caused permanent brain damage was later found to be completely false (Offit, 2011).

One subject that has been very controversial for many years is the role of vaccinations causing Autism spectrum disorder in children. Since Eric Gallup was a healthy baby until he received was his first measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccination in 1986. His parent noticed his behavior and ability to communicate after took the vaccinated. Eric had a serious reaction to the vaccine, according to his parent. In the year of 1989, he was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. Eric Gallup’s parents developed a hypothesis that childhood vaccine was responsible for Eric's autism spectrum disorder.

In a study by Brent Taylor and his coworkers, they had studied the mystery debate link as to whether or not MMR vaccines have a link towards the development of autism. Taylor and his coworkers had examined around 498 children who were developed with autism. As Taylor examined the children, he had discovered two great findings. The first being that there was “no difference in the age of diagnosis of autism was found in vaccinated and unvaccinated children” (Taylor), and second being “symptoms of autism did not occur within 2, 4, 6 months of receiving the MMR vaccine”

Parents today are risking their children’s and other children’s safety and life by refusing vaccinations. They decide to take this risk because they are trying to avoid their children’s chance of getting autism. Studies have shown following the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine children become diagnosed with autism. Parents are risking bringing back diseases that before vaccinations killed and threatened the lives of many people. The MMR vaccine does not cause autism, because the doctor who published the first study about this theory has since lost his medical license, many more studies have proven the correlation is a myth, and Autism Speaks, an autism advocacy organization, has come out and said vaccinations do not cause autism.

This study give three strong quarrel against an innovative relation between MMR vaccination and autism. A problem of autism was related in vaccinated and unvaccinated children, in both age-ordered and fully ordered investigation. There was no physical bundle of cases of autism at any moment after immunization. Either autistic disorder or other autistic spectrum disorders were combined with MMR vaccination. The main reasons for public concern has been that the widespread use of the MMR vaccine in some regions acomplice to coincide with an increment in the incidence of autism. The idea that the MMR vaccine causes or provoke autism centers on the presumed existence of autism where developmental regression is reported to follow shortly after MMR

Vaccines are an example of great advancements in medicine. Vaccinations have allowed dangerous diseases, such as smallpox and polio, to become rare. An article in The Lancet in 1998 discussed a study that linked the MMR vaccine with autism. Even though the study has been proven false, people continue to believe vaccines are dangerous and cause autism. This paper explores the controversy of vaccines, arguments for and against them, and any risks associated with vaccines.

The actual accusation of the autism threat goes back to 1998, when a British physician by the name of Andrew Wakefield wrote an article for a medical journal called The Lancet. In his article, he detailed studies of the three series M.M.R vaccine and how being administered produced autism in children. This article caused mass hysteria and widespread panic amongst parents not only in Great Britian but here in the United States as well. This autism theory was debunked as later investigations into Wakefield’s research found his claims to be dishonest and fraudulent. “The archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, which reviewed a dozen epidemiological studies, concluded that there was no evidence of an association between autism and M.M.R, and studies in peer-reviewed journals since have come to the same conclusion.”(Dominus 2011) It was also revealed by investigators that funding for Wakefield’s studies came from lawyers looking to build a case against vaccine manufacturers. In 2010, The General Medical Council stripped Wakefield of his medical license and the journal, The Lancet retracted his original article.(Dominus 2011) Although Wakefield’s theories were disproved and he received punishment for his dishonesty, the footprint of his claims still linger today as people look for a reason for the rise in autism cases. An offered explanation for this spike in autism could be that the symptoms of this developmental disorder have broadened

Scientists began to look at the correlation between vaccinations and Autism. According, to the article by Remedy’s Health Communities there was a study that was conducted in 1998 that may have noted that there might be some connection between autism and the MMR vaccine. This study was not validated by any of the leading health organizations. It was denied by the World Health Organization, the American Association of Pediatrics, and the National Institute of Health as well as the Center for Disease Control these entities are in the leading forefront of health care issues. If they did not give credit to this study the hope was that this alarm about vaccinations would subside and calm peoples fears. Since, this study was conducted there has not been one study that could certifiably link vaccinations to

The MMR vaccination is used to protect individuals from not only mumps but also measles and rubella (Harris, 2016). Vaccines are an example of active prevention methods. Active prevention requires a change in behavior, whereas passive prevention does not (Friis & Sellers, 2014). While newborns are often vaccinated if left unvaccinated it is up to the adult to obtain a vaccination to receive protection from mumps. In the situation stated in the article, 90% of school-aged youth and 40% of adults were vaccinated (Harris, 2016). To decrease chances of obtaining mumps the remaining 60% of adults and 10% of school-aged children will have to actively seek out one of the 50 vaccine clinics set up by the state. Even after receiving a dose of the vaccine

However, several studies following Andrew Wakefield’s link between MMR and autism did not display any association. One example of these studies was conducted by Brent Taylor and his co-workers of University College London in 1999, entitled ‘Autism and measles, mumps and rubella vaccine: no epidemiological evidence for casual association’. Taylor investigated documentations of 498 children from 8 different health districts with autism; 261 of core autism, 166 of atypical autism, and 71 of Asperger's syndrome. Even though there has been a steady increase of cases of autism, there was no sudden increase after the introduction of the MMR. In addition, there was no age difference in diagnosis of autism in vaccinated and unvaccinated children before or after eighteen months.

Vaccines have been a very controversial topic amongst the medical field and parenting bodies, led by scare tactics from anti-vaccination activists. One of the most contentious vaccine debates to date is the proposed causal relationship between the receipt of the measles, mump-rubella vaccine and autism. The fears created by the anti-vaccination activists are making parents question the safety associated with the vaccine. A study published in the Lancet in 1988 by Andrew Wakefield suggested that the measles and the mumps vaccine could trigger autism, sparking an anti-vaccination campaign and activism. After the introduction of the MMR vaccination, the incidence of MMR among 2-year- olds in England dropped below 80%. However, the parental refusal

In 1963 the Noble Peace Prize winning virologist John F. Enders finally licensed his vaccine for measles. Prior to this vaccine the United States alone reported 4 million cases of the measles each year. With more scientific discoveries the measles vaccine today has evolved to include immunity against rubella and mumps along with protecting millions against illness each year. However, vaccination is a word surrounded by controversy in today’s parenting world and the Measles Mumps and Rubella vaccine (MMR) can be distinguished as possibly the most controversial vaccine of our time. Controversial because of the fear that many have that it causes autism along with other hazards. This fear has clouded

Mumps was a common worldwide childhood disease dating back to the 5th century B.C. prior to vaccination. It was the leading cause of viral meningoencephalitis in the United States. It was an epidemic disease with cycles every 4 to 5 years. Mumps only known host is humans. A vaccination was introduced in the U.S. in 1967. At the time of introduction there was some 150,000 active cases of mumps. Since 2001, the yearly average of mumps cases has dropped tremendously to 265 (not including outbreaks) (Wikipedia, 2013).

Almost ten years ago a child receiving the MMR vaccinations was on the rise. Not only were the MMR vaccinations on the rise, doctors were diagnosing more and more children with autism. The main concern was the preservative called mercury that is in the vaccines. ( Beyond the Autism/Vaccine Hypothesis: What Parents Need to know about Autism Research. (2015, January 1). Retrieved April 8, 2015.) The Autism Science Foundation has done multiple studies on children who have received all of the MMR vaccinations at once and they have studied children who have received the vaccinations at different times. Studies show that there is no clear evidence that the brain or body responds differently when a child receives the vaccinations at any given point or time. People of higher authority have tried to educate the general public by giving false and misleading statements about the MMR vaccinations Senator Rand Paul, in two separate interviews stated that “many children have developed profound mental disorders” after the MMR vaccinations. (Paul Repeats Baseless Vaccine Claims. (2015, February 3). Retrieved April 9, 2015.) There is no link between autism and the vaccinations according to studies. (Beyond the Autism/Vaccine Hypothesis: What Parents Need to Know about Autism Research. (2015, January 1). Retrieved April 8,