A report on AWARES.org highlights a BBC documentary that finally lays the MMR/Autism connection to rest.
Andrew Wakefield was one of 13 authors of a paper published in The Lancet all edging a connection between MMR and autism. In fact, there were only 12 people studied, 9 of whom were autistic – it seemed Wakefield made the schoolboy error of deciding on his conclusions and working backwards to find his ‘culprit’.
On the question of these 12 subjects, it later transpired that some of the 12 were not randomly selected but supplied to Dr Wakefield by a firm of lawyers acting for the parents who believed their kids were ‘made’ autistic by the vaccine. Accoring to ratbgs (see below) Wakefield was paid about £50,000 for his work and was lined up for lots more as a paid expert witness when legal action against the Pharma’s swung into action. As Ratbags say:
Put bluntly, Wakefield was paid to find a certain result (which matched his beliefs anyway) and was going to get a lot more money if he found it.
Shortly afterwards 10 of the 13 authors of the original report authors issued a statement saying that the paper was not evidence of a connection between MMR vaccine and autism and The Lancet now say they would never have published the paper at all if they’d known about Wakefields payments.
In the last few years study after study has repeated the fact that MMR does not cause autism but anti-vax campaigners said that because all these studies were epidemiological (in other words they only looked the stats) they were useless and what was needed was someone to look at the bowels of autsitic kids.
And thats exactly what the BBC documentary shows – a team of renowned scientists looking at the bowels of autistics.
Now, such research has been carried out. Scientists at Guy’s Hospital, in London, have been studying a large group of 100 autistic children. They examined their blood samples, looking for traces of the measles virus in their blood and in that of another group of non-autistic children. The samples were analysed in some of Britain’s leading laboratories, using the most sensitive methods available. The scientists found that 99 per cent of the samples did not contain any trace of the measles virus. Crucially, there was no difference between the autistic and non-autistic children.
And thats pretty much that. I’ve no doubt at all that this will do nothing to silence the most vocal and shrill of the anti-vax brigade – they’ll accuse the scientists who conducted the study of being in the pocket of the big pharma companys no doubt – but hopefully it will reassure the vast majority of parents that MMR is safe in this respect.
Left Brain Right Brain 
I believe the MMR vaccine is safe to use, and the link with Autism always sounded a bit weak. Good blog Kev – interesting stuff. 🙂
My daughter is autistic and was displaying her symptoms well before we finally consented to her MMR vaccine when she was 3. I remember explaining to my husband that we may as well get the shot since she had already long displayed her autistic tendencies. Since she had her shot a year ago, she has not regressed at all; she continues to progress and improve.
Please explain the Amish Non-connection… No shots no Autism? Our son Tanner regressed substantially ( losing verbal and many motor skills.) This topic will be alive and painful for many for years to come. Knowing what I do now… My son will never get another vac. with a mercury preservative. How can anyone inject the second most toxic substance know to us into their children?
You’ve been reading too much Evidence of Harm Tim. Mercury isn’t the second most toxic substance known to us at all. I really strongly suggest you speak with scientists on issues like these, not journalists.
Second, this post is about MMR. No mercury link has ever been postulated regarding MMR.
And the fabulous Amish ‘non-connection’. Who knows? Maybe its the fact that they live in such unique and closed-off gene pool. The fact is though that until the science is done, all you’re doing is pissing in the wind. The Amish ride lots of horses don’t they? Maybe Amish horses prevent autism.
I’ve no doubt this topic will be alive for many years to come because when a certain type of person has such a deep emotional investment in an issue then nothing – not facts, not reason and not even the very study they’ve been asking for will sway them.
I am sorry, but I have to disagree with some of the vistors to this site. My son was officialyl dx at Christmas 20004. If we had known then what we know now, life for him and us would have been so different.
I strongly believe that auisium is generic and that it comes down the male line of the family. Like it or not dad’s but that is where itcomes from.
My own family consists of 50+ to 5 years old, all displaying autisum or aspergers. My beloved grandad died 3 years ago and if I had known then, what I know now, he would have been a classic case for me………..
I know what you mean Nicola, at least 3 people on my side of the family were on the spectrum (2 diagnosed, 1 undiagnosed).
Interestingly though, my wife’s family also have what appears to be some spectrum history. Again, down the male side but this is just speculation on our part.
Could anybody shed light if there has been any work on the effects of the wastes products of Candida and the Brain activity of Autism ? Specifically Acetylaldehydes and Sulphation pathways. Much has been done in minute detail regarding measles . but the intestines seem to be largely ignored.
my younger sister ruth behaved like a perfectly normal child until she had her MMR vaccine at 3 years old.
afterwards she started to act in a strange way, different to other children, and show indications of autism. she was diagnosed as a severe classic autistic age 4, and she is very badly affected. she is able to make only the most basic conversation, and often misunderstands and gives an innapropriate answer, especially when she is distressed. she has an abnormal gift for remembering film dialogue or stories, and can recite an entire feature after one viewing. she also displays one particular symptom of asperger’s syndrome – doing jigsaw puzzles. the house is full of puzzles – it is an obsession she has had for years. she can take a 2000 piece new jigsaw puzzle and do it within 10 hours, without looking at the box. she shuts off from the world and ignores everything else.
despite being so badly damaged, ruth is gentle, kind and compassionate, and does not display the agressive tendencies of many autistic children. she acts in a loving way even to strangers, enjoys physical contact, although it is sometimes inappropriate (cuddling strangers etc).
the doctor who administrated the MMR vaccine himself admitted the cause of the condition was most likely the jab, but said it rarely occurred.
my mother and i have learned how to talk to her and how to make her feel happy. she attends a specialist school where she egts along well and has made many friends. ruth’s condition may be unfortunate, but you could not find a bigger heart in all the world!
In my opinion the researchers have been working with their brain tied behind their back. They have not referenced the literature on the relation between bottle feeding and infantile autism.
Tanoue Y, Oda S. Weaning time of children with infantile autism.
J Autism Dev Disord. 1989 Sep;19(3):425-34.
Incidentally the ear infections, reflux and diarrhea are related to bottle feeding. If you decide to wager, wager that MMR is one of many possible factors, but because exposure is mandated or vigorously encouraged it is the predominant cause at the present time.