Informative Review

The City College of New York

Understanding The Vaccine Debate – 

The MMR Vaccine and Autism

Mavel Hidalgo

Writing for the Sciences (English – 21003)

Professor Matias

20 September 2022

In 1998, Andrew Wakefield alongside 12 researchers, published an article in a famous English journal titled Lancet. The article suggested a serious link between the Measles, Mumps and Rubella vaccine and the occurrence of developmental signs of autism in children. Years later an investigation into the study was conducted and it was found that the data did not support the initial claim of the MMR vaccine to be linked to autism (Motta et al. 2021). However, despite the speculative nature of the paper, it received wide publicity. Rates of administration of the MMR Vaccine began to drop due to parents being concerned about the risk of their children developing autism after the vaccine. Although this was followed by a retraction of interpretation of the original data by 10 out of the 12 researchers that worked alongside Wakefield, early media attention to the article caused a wave of mainstream acceptance of skepticism about vaccine safety (Rao et al. 2011). 

In recent years a decrease in public confidence in science has been observed. This has led to the creation of pro- and anti- vaccination movements. A decrease in public confidence in science has been observed. As well as a growth in both pro- and anti- vaccination movements (Benoit et al. 2016). An anti-vaxxer or a member of the anti-vaccination movement is defined as someone who does not believe in the effectiveness of vaccines. They do not believe in the safety of vaccines and or refuse any form of vaccination for themselves and children. A pro-vaxxer or member of the pro-vaccination movement is known as an individual who believes and support in the efficacy of vaccination based on their understanding of science-based medicine. In recent times these individual groups have extended their growth both in population and in social media influence. 

The vaccine debate is built up on two perspectives which lie individually in these groups. The argument is whether vaccines are effective, safe and or could be the cause of diseases or developmental autism. There is a main study that is usually cited by anti-vaxxers who claim vaccines are the cause of autism. This being the aforementioned Andrew Wakefield 1998 study. In this study hypothesized that the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine, most commonly known as MMR, caused developmental autism. Wakefield speculated that the MMR vaccine caused a plethora of complications that include the entrance of proteins into the bloodstream that are harmful to the brain, intestinal inflammation and consequently a development of autism. Wakefield supported his hypothesis by describing 12 children with developmental delay after vaccination. Eight of the children had already been diagnosed with autism before the MMR vaccination. Ethical flaws were pointed out and factors found to have no scientific aid have been debunked many years after the study was retracted (Rao et al. 2011). 

Many pro-vaxxer who make up part of medical professionals and scientists alike, have dedicated several studies that disapprove with the idea that the MMR vaccine is linked to autism. In April 2019 and original research article published by the Annals of Internal Medicine used Danish Population registries to link information on MMR vaccination, autism diagnoses, other childhood vaccines as well as sibling history of autism alongside its risk factors. 663,236 children born to Danish-born mothers were identified, as well as, emigration, vaccination status and autism cases among them (Hviid et al. 2019). 

The MMR Vaccinated and MMR unvaccinated children were placed into subgroups and characterized by sex, birth cohort, autism history and risk factors, as well as other childhood vaccines received. MMR vaccination presented with reduced risk for autism in girls based on their gene transcription factor levels which were estimated to be aHR, 0.84. It was also found that the vaccination did not increase risks for autism in children who had received other early childhood vaccinations. Children who received the MMR vaccine did not present high risk for autism or having autistic siblings. Sibling history was treated as a covariant in the results process of this investigation. No association was found in between MMR vaccination and autism among children with autistic siblings. No support for the hypothesis of increased risk for autism after MMR vaccination and autism triggered by MMR vaccination in subgroups by environmental and familial risk factors was found in this research (Hviid et al. 2019). 

Many people in our society today hold skeptical views about the overall safety of childhood vaccines. Just as many people believe in the efficacy of vaccines and the science that stands behind the accessibility to them. Because of this, it is safe to say that both the pro- and anti- vaccination movements hold high social media influence that help make this health debate mainstream. The risk of media coverages portraying false and damaging information is also present in this topic. The spread of dubious science and media can be a main cause of such a debate as large as this one. Overall Scientists who publish their research have a sort of responsibility with ensuring the best quality of data collecting, analysis and interpretation. Each individual must employ critical thinking skills and take into consideration the pros and cons which are at large in both movements.

Works Cited Page

Anders Hviid, Jørgen Vinsløv Hansen, Morten Frisch, et al; Measles, Mumps, Rubella Vaccination and Autism: A Nationwide Cohort Study. Ann Intern Med. 2019; 170: 513-520.

Benoit, S.L., Mauldin, R.F. The “anti-vax” movement: a quantitative report on vaccine beliefs and knowledge across social media. BMC Public Health 21, 2106. 2021. 

Motta, Matt, and Dominik Stecula. “Quantifying the Effect of Wakefield Et Al. (1998) on Skepticism About MMR Vaccine Safety in the U.S.” SocArXiv, 6 May 2021.

Rao, T S Sathyanarayana, and Chittaranjan Andrade. “The MMR vaccine and autism: Sensation, refutation, retraction, and fraud.” Indian journal of psychiatry vol. 53, 2, 2011: 95-6. doi:10.4103/0019-5545.82529