No link exists between the MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) vaccine and autism, according to the largest study of its kind so far.
The new study comes 10 years after the original article in The Lancet by Dr Andrew Wakefield first called into question the safety of the MMR vaccine, leading to a significant drop in the number of parents having their children vaccinated.
The independent virus study is published today in the Archive of Diseases of Childhood and is a joint study by Guys Hospital in London, the Health Protection Agency and University of Manchester.
Researchers looked for the measles virus and antibody levels in children. They studied 240 children aged between 10 and 12 born between July 1990 and December 1991 in England.
They analysed blood samples of the children – who were split into three groups – those with autism, those without, and those with special educational needs – to see if the MMR jab had led to an abnormal immune response that might have triggered autism. They found no difference between the three groups.
After Dr Wakefield’s article appeared inThe Lancet in 1998, the journal subsequently distanced itself from the study.
The new research, partly funded by the Department of Health, was welcomed by the DH’s director of immunisation Professor David Salisbury.
"It's natural for parents to worry about the health and well-being of their children and I hope that this study will reassure them that there is no evidence linking the MMR vaccine to autism," he said.
Dr David Brown, from the Health Protection Agency who worked on the study added: "The study found no evidence linking MMR to autistic spectrum disorder and the paper adds to the overwhelming body of evidence from around the world supporting the use of MMR.
"Public confidence in the MMR vaccine continues to remain high as the uptake for those receiving their first dose has stayed stable. However, it is also important to remember that children should complete their full course of MMR vaccine or optimum protection." DOI:10.1136/adc.2007.122937
