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Autism-Vaccine Link: Evidence Doesn't Dispel Doubts


Vaccine-Autism Disconnect: MMR Vaccine, Thimerosal


Most medical researchers argue that this is probably a coincidence: Autism symptoms tend to become apparent around the same time that children are scheduled to get routine vaccines.

Although there are two separate issues concerning vaccines and autism, they're often lumped together. One has to do with the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine; the other involves vaccines containing the chemical preservative thimerosal, which contains a form of mercury that has been suspected of causing autism and has recently been removed from most vaccines.





Vaccine-Autism Disconnect: Complex Science

A lot of the confusion comes from the complexity of the science involved in the issue. "It's hard to communicate in a way that's unambiguously clear," says Melinda Wharton, MD, deputy director of the CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases.

Scientists often hedge about saying whether their findings prove or disprove anything. That's because the scientific method proceeds by constantly modifying theories rather than accumulating "proofs."

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