FALSE

Extensive scientific research over several decades has determined there is no link between vaccines and autism spectrum disorder 11, 12. Major medical and government institutions, including the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), Johns Hopkins, and the Mayo Clinic, explicitly state that vaccines do not cause autism 1, 6, 8. While the CDC recently updated its phrasing regarding the definitive nature of this claim to comply with the Data Quality Act 3, the National Medical Association maintains that there is no credible scientific evidence demonstrating a link and continues to view the association as debunked 4. Research involving more than 1.2 million children found no evidence that the MMR vaccine causes autism 10. The original study that suggested a link has been criticized for lacking a control group and being unable to establish causation 6. Most experts agree that autism is likely caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors rather than immunizations 1, 7.