US court rejects vaccine connection to autism

The US Court of Federal Claims in Washington has denied damages to three families who had alleged that childhood vaccines caused their children’s autism.

The decision, made on 12 February, covers sentinel cases affecting a portion of the more than 5500 claims filed by families seeking payment through the $2.5bn (£1.74bn; €1.94bn) federal Vaccine Injury Compensation Programme.

Each of the three cases was decided by a judge known as a special master. One of them, George Hastings, said in the ruling, “The numerous medical studies concerning these issues, performed by medical scientists worldwide, have come down strongly against the petitioners’ …