Vaccinations Cause Autism? Don't Buy It, Baby
Pediatricians Urge Parents To Get Tots Measles Shots
The American Academy of Pediatrics, which represents 55,000 doctors who treat children, is urging parents to get their children vaccinated against common childhood illness such as measles, mumps and rubella.
"What a tragedy it would be for any child to suffer the consequences of a disease that could have been prevented by vaccination," said Dr. Donald Cook, the AAP's president.
Cook's comments were prompted by recent congressional hearings on vaccine safety.
Frightening Scenario
If too many parents refuse to immunize their children, those diseases could resurge in epidemic scale, the pediatricians warn. The measles epidemic of l989-1991 in the U.S. affected more than 55,000 people; 11,000 were hospitalized and more than 120 died. A major cause of the epidemic was failure to vaccinate children on time at 12 to 15 months of age, according to the AAP.
Don't Believe The Hype
Meanwhile, British doctors are throwing cold water on suggestions that vaccinations can cause autism. Recent media reports linking childhood vaccinations have been discredited by British researchers who investigated the possibility that vaccinations might be causing autism and some bowel problems in children. The UK Medical Research Council reported that its researchers found no link between these diseases and vaccinations. (Link to full report -- see below)"While I support any effort to discover the reason a child has autism, current scientific data indicate that vaccines are not the cause," the AAP's Cook said.
Autism manifests itself in the first three years of life, which is the same time a child is being vaccinated, but timing is the only link, he said.
Related Links:
- From the UK Medical Research Council: No New Evidence of a Link Betwee MMR and Autism
- The American Academy of Pediatrics' recommended immunization schedule
- Comprehensive information about all sorts of childhood immunizations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
