Vaccines and ASD — The Comprehensive Guide

The prevalence of autism has risen dramatically in the U.S. — and in other parts of the world — precipitously over the last 20 years.

A 2023 study by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that one in 36 children have autism, a major increase from the one-in-44 rate from 2018. More concerning is the fact that both of those rates are dramatic increases over the one-in-150 rate from the year 2000.

These major jumps have resulted in many people questioning the reasons behind more children being diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) than ever before.

Unfortunately, it has also given rise to the concern that there could be a link between vaccines and ASD.

It’s very clear, though, that vaccines in no way cause autism.

Below, we’ll discuss this topic further, including how the belief first came about and why some studies that have suggested this are very flawed.

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Andrew Wakefield Studies

The initial belief that vaccines cause ASD was brought about following a 1998 study that was published in “The Lancet” journal. That paper was written by Andrew Wakefield and some of his colleagues.

The team’s hypothesis was that the MMR vaccine — which protects against measles, mumps and rubella — caused a series of events that eventually led to children developing autism.

Wakefield tried to back up his claims by describing 12 children who were part of his study and had a developmental delay, eight of whom had autism. All of the children in question had complaints of intestinal problems, Wakefield said, and all developed ASD within one month of receiving the MMR vaccine.

Many respected people and organizations in the medical community have debunked his theory on many grounds, though.

First, children get the MMR vaccine at around the same time that they are diagnosed with ASD. The paper also studied children in England, 90% of whom get the MMR vaccine.

This means it would be very much expected that nearly every child who has autism also got an MMR vaccine. Wakefield’s study didn’t analyze children who were vaccinated against MMR and those who weren’t. It only looked at children on the autism spectrum who received the MMR vaccine.

In addition, all eight of the children who had autism in Wakefield’s study showed symptoms of ASD before they received the MMR vaccine and not after.

Wakefield published a second study in 2002 that looked at possible links between the measles virus and autism, which also contributed to the belief that vaccines cause autism.

Is There a Link Between Vaccines and Autism?

Quite simply, no. There is no direct link between vaccines and autism.

To the contrary, multiple studies have discovered overwhelming evidence that, in fact, vaccines not only don’t cause autism but are completely effective and safe. Not only are the vaccines themselves not linked to autism risk factors, but neither are the ingredients that are used to make them.

In other words, there is no actual proof that vaccines cause autism, and this should not be a cause for concern. Parents who are concerned about the possible developmental side effects of vaccines need not worry.

It’s important to keep in mind that autism is a lifelong neurodevelopmental disorder that children are born with. It’s not something that children can be “infected” with or “come down” with over time after they’re born. Either they have it at birth or they don’t.

There is some confusion about this, of course, because autism is not something that can typically be identified clearly until the child starts to develop. While some signs of autism can first be spotted around 12 months old, most children don’t receive an ASD diagnose until after the age of 3.

Still, there is no reason to be concerned that giving your child vaccines — or that getting vaccinated while you’re pregnant or trying to get pregnant — could cause your child to develop ASD.

If anything, the medical community has proven time and again through various studies and papers that vaccines are completely safe and are very effective at preventing major diseases.

Trust Blue Gems ABA with Your Child’s Developmental Growth

One of the biggest frustrations for healthcare professionals and parents alike is that there is no one known, direct cause of autism. What we do know for sure, though, is that vaccines don’t cause autism.

No matter what caused your child’s autism, it’s important to recognize that the best way you can support them is by giving them the resources they need to live a happy and fulfilling life.

At Blue Gems ABA, we are dedicated to helping your child do just that by administering one-on-one applied behavioral analysis, or ABA therapy. This is a science- and evidence-based approach to learning and behavior that utilizes repetition and positive reinforcement to help children with autism build the social, communication and daily life skills that they often struggle with.

To learn more, please contact us today.