FACT CHECK #PMJIKCW4

WHAT WE FOUND

The claim that vaccines cause autism has been extensively debunked by decades of international scientific research 4, 12. Major medical and government institutions, including the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the Mayo Clinic, state definitively that vaccines do not cause autism 1, 8. The original study suggesting a link was retracted after investigations revealed that the data was flawed and that some children in the study exhibited signs of autism prior to vaccination 7, 10. Large-scale analyses of more than 1.2 million children found no link between vaccines and autism spectrum disorder 11, 12. While the CDC recently updated its website language to reflect specific federal data standards regarding certain phrasing 3, the National Medical Association (NMA) and other medical experts maintain there is no credible scientific evidence demonstrating a causal link 4, 7. Research indicates that autism is a complex disorder likely caused by genetic and environmental influences, but vaccines are not a contributing factor 1, 6.

SOURCES

1. 1 · aap.orgFACT-CHECKER
   Fact Checked: Vaccines: Safe and Effective, No Link to Autism

   TIER A

2. 2 · pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.govACADEMIC
   The myth of vaccination and autism spectrum - PMC - NIH

   TIER A

3. 3 · cdc.govACADEMIC
   Autism and Vaccines | Vaccine Safety | CDC

   TIER A

4. 4 · nmanet.orgACADEMIC
   NMA Statement on CDC Reviving Debunked Link Between Autism and Vaccines - National Medical Association

   TIER A

5. 5 · cdphe.colorado.govACADEMIC
   Vaccines and autism: What Colorado families should know | Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment

   TIER A

6. 6 · chop.eduACADEMIC
   Vaccines and autism | Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

   TIER A

7. 7 · publichealth.jhu.eduACADEMIC
   Vaccines Do Not Cause Autism | Johns Hopkins | Bloomberg School of Public Health

   TIER A

8. 8 · mayoclinichealthsystem.orgACADEMIC
   Autism-vaccine link debunked - Mayo Clinic Health System

   TIER A

9. 9 · media.chop.eduACADEMIC
   Vaccine and Autism: What You Should Know Q&A

   TIER A

10. 10 · npr.orgNEWS
    The history behind an enduring public health falsehood — that vaccines cause autism : NPR

    TIER A

11. 11 · cspi.orgWEB
    Vaccines don’t cause autism. Here’s how we know

    TIER B

12. 12 · autismspeaks.orgWEB
    Do vaccines cause autism? | Autism Speaks

    TIER B

THE READING