During the weekend, Reuters reported That the centers for disease control and prevention provide for a major study to know if vaccination can cause autism. This is a study which will be a loss of time and full money, given the quantity of scientific work already devoted to the subject.
The CDC is one of the many agencies under the aegis of the American Department of Health and Social Services, now led by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. last December, President elected Donald Trump said that RFK Jr. investigate The alleged link between vaccines and the autism spectrum disorder, claiming that “someone must discover” which causes the reported increase in cases of autism. But in fact, many studies have already examined this same question, and the vast majority did not find a link.
Although the anti -salaries have existed since the time of Edward Jenner and his very first vaccine For the smallpox in the early 1800s, the specific fascination for autism only took steam in the late 1990s. In 1998, British doctor Andrew Wakefield published A study widely publicized in the Lancet which suggests a link between autism and measles, mumps and the vaccine against rubella (MMR). Although the study only concerns 12 children, early media coverage lend credibility to the results, and may have convinced some people to avoid Ror blows.
Even at the time, however, many other scientists were not convinced of the conclusions of Wakefield, and it was not necessary for too much time for the contradictory data to emerge.
In 1999, for example, a Study of British children found no evidence of a causal link between autism and ROR vaccination. A 2002 study of all children born in Denmark in the 1990s find No association between Ror shots and the diagnosis of autism; If anything, non -vaccinated children seemed to have a slightly higher risk of autism. Another 2002 study on Finnish children find No link between mmr vaccination and autism or other serious neurological conditions. A 2006 study of Canadian children find No association between autism and the Ror vaccine or the Thimérosal, a mercury -based curator has once added to certain infant vaccines (but never the ROR vaccine). A 2015 study of American children also found No link with MMR vaccination, even in children whose older brothers and sisters have autism (which means that young children may have been more genetically vulnerable). And a 2019 study on Danish children (conducted by some of the same authors as the 2002 study) again found No link between MMR and autism.
The diagnosed autism rate has increased considerably over time. And it is possible that certain environmental risk factors, such as prenatal exposure to air pollution or more people with children at a more advanced age, could contribute to a real increase in cases of autism. But Many experts have discussed The fact that most of this increase is linked to an increased awareness of the symptoms of autism as well as wider criteria in the way autism is diagnosed.
Dozens of studies have examined a possible link between vaccines or certain ingredients of the vaccine such as Thimérosal and Autism, and almost all have reached the same conclusion. Other studies have demystified the hypotheses behind this supposed link, noting that the brain linked to autism often changes utero. On occasion, you might hear about an apparent article that changes the game that says the opposite, although these articles tend to be written by people supporting the anti-vaccination movement and are Often quickly criticized For obvious methodological defects by other researchers.
It turns out that the original Wakefield paper from 1998 was also fatally defective. In 2010, Lancet retracted The article, citing the discovery of several “incorrect” elements. It was a retraction that followed the exhaustive investigation work of journalist Brian Deer. Among many other things, Deer discovered that Wakefield financially benefiting to demolish the ROR vaccine (even more if it was replaced by an individual measles vaccine, it and others had patented), and that it fraudulently Patient data described in his study.
Decades and countless resources have been devoted to pursuit after Wakefield’s false wild goose. And nothing suggests that this planned CDC study will find something substantial to overthrow the overall evidence showing that vaccines do not cause autism. There is as little indication as Kennedy recognize His errors by suggesting a link, as he promised during the Senate hearings for his confirmation to the HHS chief.
Although Kennedy said he was not an anti-vaccination supporter, he has repeatedly spread to disinformation on vaccines for At least 20 years oldincluding the demystified link with autism. And during the Senate hearings, Kennedy rejected the notion of a large scientific consensus on the issue, rather citing an isolated (and Probably very imperfect) Recent study that said the opposite.
If this study takes place as planned, it would be the last indication that the CDC and other agencies take an unfortunate path, in which demystified myths, bad sciences and conspiracy theories are allowed to enter as a valid scientific debate.
