Is there any evidence to support the claim that vaccines can cause autism in children?

by Dan Ritchey

            Last class, we had a discussion about vaccinations. Some students expressed that they would not vaccinate their children due to the risk of the children possibly developing autism from the vaccine. I had heard rumors of this possibility in the past and wanted to know if there was any evidence to support the claim that autism can be caused by vaccinations.

            According to the Center for Disease Control, “Many studies that have looked at whether there is a relationship between vaccines and autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). To date, the studies continue to show that vaccines are not associated with ASDs. However, CDC knows that some parents and others still have concerns. To address these concerns, CDC is part of the Inter-Agency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC), which is working with the National Vaccine Advisory Committee (NVAC) on this issue. The job of the NVAC is to advise and make recommendations regarding the National Vaccine Program. Communication between the IACC and NVAC will allow each group to share skills and knowledge, improve coordination, and promote better use of research resources on vaccine topics.”

References:
Related Topics. (2013, October 31). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved November 18, 2013, from http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/topics.html