The Controversy around Autism and Vaccination
The controversy around autism, vaccines and immunization is nothing new. It all began with Andrew Wakefield, a former physician who conducted a study on the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine. In his study, he implied that vaccines do cause autism and other developmental disorders.
He avoided making direct, clear-cut conclusions, though his attitude towards vaccines revealed his strong disapproval against the subject. Since then, many scholars have conducted their own studies on immunization that showed results that contradicted Wakefield’s stance.
This kind of disagreement is not uncommon. As a matter of fact, debate is almost constant within the scientific community itself. And vaccination, as a popular preventive measure, is a heated battleground.
For one, vaccination schedules are often discussed for change. The CDC panel has recently voted to separate the MMR vaccine and the varicella vaccine due to the risk of seizures. The separation would result in a change in vaccination schedule for children in America.
Some healthcare providers are not comfortable with this change. They believe that it would be impractical for busy parents to bring their children in multiple time with the changed schedule.
What this shows is that the advancement of medical science creates division among experts as well. Science is always changing, which is why we must learn proactively and keep ourselves equipped with the latest information.
Clinical and Scientific Evidence
The Johns Hopkins University stated that as of March 19, 2025, scientists have conducted 16 large-scale studies regarding vaccines and autism. These studies adopted different methodologies, but shared the same conclusion of there being no relationship between the MMR vaccine and autism.
Naturally, the MMR vaccine is not the only vaccine that some are concerned about. The COVID pandemic has introduced to the Western public the mRNA vaccine. Before then, the mRNA vaccine was mainly used to work against the Ebola virus in Africa.
Multiple studies have attempted to prove a theoretical relationship between mRNA vaccines and autism. One of the studies that caused widespread discussion talked about the effects of exposure to the COVID-19 vaccine before childbirth. Built around a rat model, the study suggested that parents who received the mRNA vaccine may have a higher chance of giving birth to offspring that engage in autism-like behaviors.
However, that article has now been recalled due to there being errors in its methodologies. At the time of writing, the authors of the study have not responded to the recalling of the article.
Another review article suggested that mRNA vaccines might cause brain damage. In response, other scholars said that this claim does not line up with the observed statistics of ASD.
From the information made available to the scientific community right now, vaccines are considered to be well-regulated and safe. On the other hand, older studies with outdated methodologies may find themselves spreading information that is no longer correct and accurate.
The Perpetuation of a Myth
The myriad of evidence, reviewed by the dedicated scientific community, seems to spell the end of these misconceptions. However, reality is that some are still quick to blame vaccines for the increasing prevalence of autism.
A study published in 2016 may shed light on this. The study pointed out that some parents developed a negative impression against vaccines after hearing of safety concerns from media stories. It is explained that these anecdotal reports may portray extremely rare and unforeseen side-effects of vaccines as something common.
And when it comes to autism, the matter at hand becomes even more complicated. Autism is known to be a condition that tends to present its symptoms early in the individual’s life. Coincidentally, most vaccines are given to children in the early developmental stages of life. This overlap may contribute to parents making hasty conclusions about autism and vaccines.
A Place of Love
Debates around autism and immunization often revolve around shame and belittlement. If we were to take a step back, though, we would see the bigger picture unfolding around love and fear.
With love often comes a paralyzing and lingering fear of making irreversible mistakes. We can see this idea at play in a 2018 study on vaccine hesitancy. The study explained that first-time mothers are four times as likely to be hesitant about vaccines.
What this phenomenon tells us is that prior personal experience plays a vital role in soothing parental anxiety. As we know, however, there is a first time for everything. This puts parents who are unfamiliar with vaccines in a difficult spot.
To address this issue, medical providers should consider providing additional education about vaccines to dispel, not dismiss, potential safety concerns that parents have. On top of that, the society must also reevaluate its relationship with both the scientific community and the media. We must ask ourselves why we put more trust in one over the other.
Autism Resources
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