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An expert on autism has been criticised by campaigners for casting doubts on possible links between the condition and the MMR jab.

In a wide-ranging discussion, Dr Paul Gringas came under fire for challenging the connection between the childhood vaccination and autism.

He told the International Science Festival in Edinburgh that new research had been unable to find a connection.

The consultant in paediatric neuro-disability says about 30% of children with autism would develop normally for a period and then show signs of a condition known as regressive autism.

He said: "It is extremely understandable that we are going to look at whatever was being used by the child at the time and the MMR jab is normally given at 13 months. But autistic regression has been well described for at least 20 years before MMR was ever used."

But protesters who argue there is a relation between the vaccine for measles, mumps and rubella and autism, says the presentation had been "one-sided".

A small number of Action Against Autism supporters stood outside the University of Edinburgh's David Hume Tower Lecture Theatre distributing leaflets in support of their claim.

Bill Welsh, chairman of the campaigning group, says he wants to take every opportunity to refute dismissals of the link.

He said: "Quite frankly, the Government is spending £3.5 million to tell us the MMR is safe. We don't have £3.5 million to respond with our side of the argument and we are protesting the one-sided nature of this event.

"Dr Gringas's dismissal of the MMR theory was based on two very selective studies, one of which is retrospective and no raw data is provided for it. The other one was designed to dismiss the hypothesis that MMR and autism are connected rather than to investigate it."

Story filed: 21:25 Tuesday 9th April 2002

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