From Scientific American, Bloomberg News, Newsday, the Washington Post and elsewhere:

Scientists released new research yesterday showing that the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine, known as MMR, does not cause autism. The study was designed to replicate a 1998 report that first suggested a link between the shot and the disorder.

The research by Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health is the latest of more than 20 studies that have dismissed the link between the vaccine and autism. It is published today online in the journal of the Public Library of Science.

“We are confident that there is no link between [the measles vaccine] and autism,” says lead study author W. Ian Lipkin, an epidemiologist.

Physicians are alarmed at a recent doubling in the number of U.S. measles cases, triggered by parents who decline to have their children vaccinated for fear of autism. Recent post here.

(AP/Washington Post photo)

This entry was posted on Thursday, September 4th, 2008 at 6:02 am and is filed under NOT2BEMISSED, autism, public health, research news, vaccine. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.  Email This Post