No correlation found between MMR vaccine and autism

Kaye et al (p 460) used the UK GP research database to conduct a time trend analysis of children diagnosed with autism over the period 1988-99. They found that the risk of autism in 2-5 year old boys increased from 8 per 10 000 boys in 1988 to 29 per 10 000 boys in 1993. MMR vaccine coverage was 95% throughout this period. The authors conclude that there is no correlation between the prevalence of MMR vaccination and the rapid increase in the risk of autism over time because if MMR was a major contributing factor, the risk of autism in successive birth cohorts would be expected to stop rising within a few years of the vaccine being in full use.


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Complore Complore   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us   Add to Digg Digg   Add to Reddit Reddit   Add to StumbleUpon StumbleUpon   Add to Technorati Technorati    What's this?

Relevant Article

Mumps, measles, and rubella vaccine and the incidence of autism recorded by general practitioners: a time trend analysis
James A Kaye, Maria del Mar Melero-Montes, and Hershel Jick
BMJ 2001 322: 460-463. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Access jobs at BMJ Careers
Whats new online at Student BMJ