Myth: The MMR vaccine causes autism

### Why People Believe This

Autism is typically diagnosed around 15 months of age

MMR is given at 12-15 months

Timing coincidence created the false belief (temporal association ≠ causation)

### Massive Safety Studies

**Japanese study**: 440,000 children, no autism link

**Swedish cohort**: 2+ million children over 20 years — no association

**Multiple CDC studies**: 600,000+ children — consistently no link

Studies span 25+ years across multiple countries

### MMR Was Tested on Millions Before Approval

Pre-approval trials: 10,000+ subjects

Post-approval surveillance (VAERS, Vaccine Safety Datalink): 100+ million recipients

### Why Timing Seems Important

Autism is often **noticed** around 12-18 months due to:

Better observation of development

Social skills deficits become apparent

Language delays obvious

But autistic development started **before birth** (brain imaging shows this)

### Current Recommendation

MMR is one of the safest, most effective vaccines in history. Serious side effects are rare (severe allergic reaction ~1 in 1 million).

Honda H, Shimizu Y, Rutter M (2005)

"No effect of MMR withdrawal on the incidence of autism: a total population study"

Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry

The MMR vaccine has been extensively studied in millions of children. No causal link to autism has ever been found.

✓ FACT