Autism can have profound effects on a person and families understandably have questions about its causes, including whether there is a link to vaccines, such as MMR.
Kevin Healey & Staffordshire Adults Autistic Society is clear that there is no link between autism and the MMR vaccine.
Much research has been devoted to this issue and the results have repeatedly shown there is no link. This includes a comprehensive review of all available studies on links between autism and vaccines in 2014, using data from more than 1.25 million children.
In addition, the original research linking the MMR vaccine and autism has been comprehensively discredited and the person who wrote it has been struck off the medical register. For a fuller account please visit the BBC’s website.
We therefore believe that no further research should be directed towards examining a link that has already been comprehensively discredited.
The exact causes of autism are not fully understood but research to date has shown it involves many complex and interacting factors, including genetics, the environment and the development of the brain.
