Single Mmr Vaccine

There is much controversy at present regarding the MMR vaccine, particularly the part thereof against measles. Many parents are worried that their children have the MMR vaccination due primarily, I think, its link with autism.

Most people have an opinion relatively fixed, I found, but do not know what the actual evidence is that they are believers. There is no shortage of information about MMR and autism, and it is easy to find on the Internet. However there seems to be a lot of junk science available, and those scientifically trained may be unable to separate the waste from the real thing. They therefore tend to believe what affects them most.

= = = = = = = THE START =

The whole debate began in 1998 when gastroenterologist Andrew Wakefield, in association with others, said that the MMR vaccine might trigger autism. On the basis of only 12 children, most of the others who drafted the paper later retracted the findings. It is based on the possibility of measles virus, given the experience during the vaccine, causing enterocolitis (inflammation of the intestine) and release toxins that attack the brain, causing autism.

The parents panicked and vaccination rates dropped sharply and Wakefield cites data from California showed the incidence of autism increased by 600% between 1980 and 1994. However, this also supports other evidence that autism rates are increasing: in fact they were increasing before the introduction of MMR in 1988. During the period the proportion of the MMR vaccine has been relatively stable autism rose again and continued to increase as vaccination rates in the UK has dropped to 60%. This is poor evidence to suggest a link.

= PROBLEMS = = = = = = =

What studies of autism have failed to take into account are:

* They are based on the figures and do not take population growth or changes in its composition into account.

* The cases in the original study were returned to the researchers, and there were only 12 of them, and do not represent the population.

* Definitions of diagnosis of autism have changed over the years, various studies have failed to take into account. Minor symptoms were diagnosed more and more like autism.

* Children are now diagnosed at an earlier age and thus the case should increase.

* No account was taken of the increased pollution of the environment from chemicals and fumes.

A large study in Finland involving 1.8 million people who received 3 million doses of MMR vaccine over 14 years, found that some reactions. She did not, however, take into account cases background of autism normally expected from the general population. Nevertheless, it provides good evidence that the link is tenuous.

A recent analysis in the United Kingdom supports this, with an ever increasing rate of autism against a sustained use of MMR vaccine. Thus, autism is rising despite MMR remains stable.

A study in Denmark, often quoted, showed an increase in autism in children who have had the MMR vaccine. However, what has been used both by governments and other researchers, either refute or prove the link. I have not seen the evidence, but it must be flawed if it can be used by both parties.

A recent study in Japan, which withdrew MMR in 1993 for other reasons showed that in more than 31,000 children born in one district of Yokohama between 1988 and 1996, cases of children diagnosed with autism at the age of 7 has continued to increase by 48-86 per 10,000 before the withdrawal MMR by 10,000 to 97,161 after the withdrawal. This is equivalent to:

* A 56% increase in autism before the withdrawal of MMR vaccine

* A 60% increase in autism after the withdrawal of MMR vaccine

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