In 1998, a British medical journal published a study linking autism to the childhood measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine. A massive media fear campaign resulted, and the following years saw the rate of MMR vaccinations in the U.K. drop to 84 percent (in some places, as low as 61 percent), according to Britain’s National Health Service. These levels are insufficient to prevent a serious outbreak of those diseases, and the region has experienced an explosion of measles and mumps cases. Measles cases have been occurring at a rate 13 times its 1998 level; mumps at a rate 37 times greater. Children are suffering, some even dying, because of the massive hysteria this study inspired.
This seems an unfortunate but understandable reaction to the possibility of the MMR vaccine causing autism, but there’s one serious problem: the study is rubbish.
Immediately after it was published, the General Medical Council began an investigation into the study’s claims, the methods used and accusations of unethical conduct from its lead author, Dr. Andrew Wakefield. Ten of the 13 original authors have since denounced the study, and on Feb. 2, the journal that originally published the study fully retracted it. On Jan. 28, the General Medical Council ruled that Wakefield acted “dishonestly and irresponsibly” during his research, and he had behaved with “callous disregard for the distress and pain the children might suffer.”
Since that first study, no other scientists have been able to reproduce the results. A host of large-scale studies have failed to find any evidence for the supposed link between the vaccine and autism. In fact, it seems the only support for this theory comes from wild, pseudoscientific speculation and anecdotal evidence from scared parents.
But this conspiracy theory still has traction. Vaccination rates in the U.K. haven’t recovered from that initial slump, and the U.S. isn’t immune to the same phenomenon.
Though not as wide-spread, fear over the supposed dangers of vaccines has parents wondering whether they are worth the risk. According to the Center for Disease Control, infant vaccination rates are still sitting around a record high, with about 1 percent of children lacking the recommended immunizations, but the rate for the MMR vaccine is going down. And, of course, measles and mumps cases are increasing sharply as a result.
We aren’t seeing anywhere near the epidemics that plague the U.K., but if the current trend continues, there’s no reason to think the same thing won’t happen here. We’re headed for a serious outbreak of diseases that should be headed for extinction, all because of an ignorant hysteria.
Celebrities with more money than sense, such as Jim Carrey and Jenny McCarthy, are using their media clout to support this conspiracy theory and stir up vaccination fears. It’s absolutely reprehensible these people — apparently thinking they know more than the scientific and medical communities — are using their position to put children in harm of completely preventable diseases. They attack the “medical establishment” as a dogmatic institution trying to silence dissenting voices, and they point to other discredited or inconclusive studies to support their theories.
And it’s not just these fears. Groups have found potential dangers in everything from the amount of vaccinations given to the timing of those injections. None of these claims have been supported by valid studies — though it’s worth noting none have been specifically debunked either.
Scared patients hear popular voices talking about the “science” that shows potential dangers in childhood vaccines, and they listen. They do what any responsible parent would do in that situation, and keep their children from “unnecessary and potentially dangerous” injections. Unfortunately, in this case, what they’re ultimately doing is putting their children at risk to horrible, preventable diseases because of a conspiracy theory with no conclusive scientific backing.
This is not to say the effect of vaccines should not be further explored. We need to know everything we can about the medicines we inject in ourselves at these vulnerable ages. Concerns about the interaction between infant vaccines, or the effects of the fever reducers they are packaged with, are valid avenues of needed research.
It’s simply that it’s better to be safe in the mean time. Until the time a conclusive link is found, or concerns are at least partially validated, we need to vaccinate our children. Why risk the health of your child on a potentially bogus theory? And even if vaccines are found to have certain negative effects, the benefits of protection from these diseases, the prevention of outbreaks and the potential eradication of the diseases in their entirety are worth a lot of side-effects.
With the autism link all but debunked and other concerns lacking any conclusive proof, it is irresponsible not to give your children every chance of a healthy future possible.
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TheAntiTrevorClark 2 years, 3 months ago
This is a pretty relevant topic nationally, but few college-age students have to deal with this issue.
ston9794 2 years, 3 months ago
Here's the reason that people have no logic functionings when it comes to autism:
http://abcnews.go.com/video/playerIndex?id=9477472
A study shows that "autism diets" don't work. Jenny McCarthy's response?
"Until doctors start listening to our anecdotal evidence, which is it's working, it's going to take so many more years for these kids to get better..."
Yes, that's how science works - anecdotal evidence of some wackjobs that can't accept the fact that their genetics probably caused their kid's autism.
Nice article, though, Ms. Stanfield. Just don't expect anyone to be convinced by logical arguments regarding this topic.