Things you should know before you buy MMR causes autism

May 14, 5:15 PMSkepticism ExaminerDylan Otto Krider

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Research shows vaccines don't cause harm, but not vaccinating does.

"Vaccines do not cause autism." Thus begins Chris Mooney's latest piece in Discover Magazine that looks at why the urban legend persists despite all evidence to the contrary, appropriately entitled "Why Does the Vaccine/Autism Controversy Live On?"

Why, indeed.

If proponents of the supposed link start making sense, there are a few things you ought to remind yourself:

1. On February 12 the U.S. Court of Federal Claims in Washington, D.C. found no link in three critical test cases.
2. Of 16 studies examined by IOM, all but two (which were thrown out for faulty methodology) showed no link.
3. The five studies of Thimerosal (a mercury based preservative) showed no side effects.
4. Despite no evidence that Thimerosal causes harm, Thimerosal has already been removed from vaccines as a precaution.
5. Since Thimerosal was removed in 2001, the rate of autism diagnoses has not declined. In fact, it appears to be increasing. (There is some question about whether a rise in autism ever existed, or whether the increase is due to increased diagnosis and reclassification of who is autistic).
6. Wakefield, the author of the paper that launched the anti-vaccine movement was shown to have financial ties to vaccine litigation, and stories by the Times have suggested the data was falsified.
7. Almost all of the co-authors of Wakefield's original study that sparked concern have retracted any speculation their paper might have stirred over vaccines causing autism, as has the Journal, Lancet, where the article was published.
8. Despite the lack of evidence of harm from these vaccines, there are mountains of evidence demonstrating the dangers of not vaccinating -- after a scare over vaccines resulted in many parents foregoing MMR vaccines there was an outbreak of the once-cured disease in the UK last year.

Yet, "Despite repeated rejection by the scientific community, it has spawned a movement, led to thousands of legal claims, and even triggered occasional harassment and threats against scientists whose research appears to discredit it."