Horizon: Does the MMR Jab Cause Autism?

doi:10.1136/bmj.330.7503.1335

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Domhnall MacAuley, general practitioner (domhnall.macauley@ntworld.com)

Belfast

BBC 2, 29 May at 9 pm

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Oh no. Surely the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine story has been hammered to death. Why is the BBC now picking through the remains of yesterday's news? At our baby clinic on Tuesday afternoons we still have concerned mums and dads, but most are happy to go along with our advice. Like most doctors, I have trotted out my own unsystematic interpretation of guidance from experts, government departments, and advice leaflets. But, I should confess, there was still a tiny voice in the back of my mind wondering if there might still be a grain of truth in the story about a suggested link between autism and MMR.

Depending on the day, I watch programmes about MMR with a varying balance of natural cynicism and scientific acceptance. The BBC is usually fair and well researched, so I …