Vaccines cause autism
Studies covering millions of children find no association between vaccination and autism. The original 1998 paper was retracted for fraud.
AI review of the sources below, no human approval · Reviewed
This verdict was generated by AI from the papers listed on this page and published without human sign-off. AI can misread or miss studies — check the sources yourself. Not medical advice.
What the research says
A Danish nationwide cohort of 657,461 children found no increased risk of autism after MMR vaccination, including in subgroups with higher baseline risk. Cochrane's review of MMR safety across more than 23 million children reached the same conclusion. The 1998 Lancet paper that started the claim was retracted in 2010 after investigation found the data had been manipulated.
Caveats
- Vaccines do have real, documented side effects — usually mild and short-lived. Autism is not among them.
Evidence
- Cohort studyAnnals of Internal Medicine·2019
MMR vaccination and autism: a nationwide cohort study
No increased autism risk among 657,461 Danish children followed for over a decade.
Read the source - Systematic reviewCochrane Database of Systematic Reviews·2020
Vaccines for measles, mumps, rubella and varicella in children
No evidence of an association between MMR and autism across 138 studies.
Read the source
This page summarises published research for general information. It is not medical advice — talk to a clinician about your own situation.