As a parent, you want what’s best for your child. That’s why when groups of parents around the country say vaccines may cause autism, you probably stopped to consider the possibility. Before getting into specifics, no, vaccines do not cause autism. Yes, children who eventually tested for autism did receive vaccines, but the two have no connection, in much the same way that someone who experiences a paper cut and then finds out they have cancer should not conclude that the paper cut caused their cancer.
If you have a child, you should take them in for vaccines. Here’s why:
CDC Conclusion
According to research by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there is no link between vaccines and autism. Additionally, ingredients in the vaccines do not lead to autism either. On the flip side though, refusal to have your child vaccinated actually puts them and vulnerable members of the population in greater danger of contracting preventable diseases such as measles and pertussis (aka whooping cough).
Additional Studies Backing Vaccines
There have been nine major studies on the connection between vaccines and autism since 2003. These different studies have focused on:
- Brain function
- Exposure in the womb and in infancy
- Long-term results of thimerosal (main ingredient in many vaccines) exposure
- Thimerosal in the US, Denmark and the UK
- Thimerosal in flu shots
- Connection between neurodevelopment disorders and thimerosal
- Effects of removing thimerosal
- Outcome comparisons with and without thimerosal
- Overall health outcomes with thimerosal
In all studies, there were no connections between thimerosal and autism. If you suspect your child has autism, please speak to your pediatrician and reach out for support.
