| The results of a Danish study focusing on the MMR vaccine and
autism that were reported in this week’s New England Journal of Medicine
have caused widespread discussion within the autism community and general
public – and NAAR is fortunate that such
interest in research exists in the autism community. This excellent
study, co-funded by the National Alliance for Autism Research (NAAR) and the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC), reports no association between the MMR vaccine and autism.
However, some questions have been raised that NAARwould
like to address. First, it has been stated that the Danish study is unable to specifically analyze the relationship between the MMR vaccine and regressive autism in children and the implication that may have on the validity of the study’s conclusions. While the study did not focus exclusively on children with regressive autism, it does suggest the MMR vaccine does not contribute to regressive autism. If such a trend had emerged, it would have clearly been reflected in an overall increase in the number of autism cases listed in the study – therefore increasing the relative risk. As the authors themselves have stated, this was not the case. The study does not support the hypothesis that the MMR vaccine is associated with regressive autism, based on the relative risk stated in the study (.92), which is calculated from findings that examine the number of children with autism who received the vaccine and those with autism who did not. In other words, if a link exists between regressive autism and the MMR vaccine, the total number of cases of children with autism who received the vaccine would be higher, especially based on the statistic that between 10-20% of children with autism have the regressive form of the disorder. A population-based study of this size (over 530,000 children) would have clearly suggested such a trend. It is also important to explain that the Danish study was designed specifically and solely to investigate the alleged link between the MMR vaccine and autism. One person noted the study’s “failure” to include a thimerosal component, based on a hypothesis that the MMR vaccine and thimerosal may be associated with regressive autism. Peer-reviewed research cannot and should not be refuted on the basis of hypothesis. Whether there is a link between thimerosal, the MMR vaccine and autism is a hypothesis that may merit additional research, but it does not negate the validity of the study’s conclusions. While this study is the largest to date examining the MMR/autism issue, NO ONE AFFILIATED WITH THE PROJECT - including the research team, the CDC or NAAR - ever claimed it was the “final word” on autism and vaccines. The study provides the most solid statistical evidence to date on whether the MMR vaccine increases the risk for developing autism on a population basis. However, additional investigations by the CDC and other government organizations also focusing on the MMR vaccine and autism are currently taking place in the U.S. The collective results of these studies as well as the Danish study will provide an even clearer picture on the MMR vaccine and autism, helping to develop a more accurate understanding of this controversial issue and a responsible public health policy. In addition, NAAR encourages additional research to address the issue of potentially vulnerable subgroups of the population. NAAR continues to support additional research on potential environmental factors and autism and invites researchers to submit proposals in this area for consideration.  A Population-Based Study of Measles,
Mumps, And Rubella Vaccination And Autism, New England Journal of Medicine,
Nov. 7, 2002NEJM PERSPECTIVE: Suspicions
about the Safety of Vaccines--Edward W. Campion, M.D. CDC:
Vaccines and Autism Theory "The ABCs of MMRs and DTPs", NAARRATIVE, Number
3, Fall 1998.
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