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Pulse Magazine - United Kingdom
7 July 2001 Pulse magazine
MMR vaccine link to autism hypothesised
Autism may be triggered by MMR vaccine in a subgroup of
children genetically predisposed to immunological problems, new unpublished
research suggests. The research has led
to a hypothesis that mothers who fail to develop protective antibodies when
they themselves are vaccinated with MMR may have an immune problem which
predisposes their children to autism. The
study postulates that autism might then be triggered by an ‘immune insult’ like
giving MMR or another live vaccine to the child. Alternatively, a live vaccine booster, given inadvertently to the
mother during pregnancy, could cause autism via a teratogenic effect on the
fetus. The hypothesis has been
described as biologically plausible by a former medical assessor to the UK
Committee on Safety of Medicines and a key official at the US Center for
Disease Control.
Dr Edward Yazbak, a retired US paediatrician, has
presented preliminary results of his study to a conference of the authoritative
American Academy of Pediatrics.
The controversial findings are due to be published later
this year. Dr Yazbak contacted 400
members of vaccine and parent groups using the internet and newsletters in the
UK, Australia and the US. He asked all
mothers who had received an MMR or rubella booster after the age of 16, because
of a failure to seroconvert to an earlier dose, to complete a questionnaire.
His final results reveal that among women revaccinated
with MMR or any other live vaccine just before, during or after pregnancy, 76
per cent had one or more child diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders.
A further 17 per cent of these women went on to have
children with autistic tendencies, severe attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
and significant developmental delays.
Dr Yazbak said: ‘The vaccine from the mother and the
immune predisposition of the mother are predisposing factors for the child.
‘Then the child has its own vaccine which is a
precipitating factor - except where the mother is revaccinated (during or
before conception) when the child is damaged from birth.’
He added: ‘This is a very unscientific study. I’m just
saying “listen, this is something worth pursuing”.
Dr Peter Fletcher, who was principal medical officer and
medical assessor to the CSM during the 1970’s, said the hypothesis was
plausible. He said: ‘It’s certainly
something the immunologists should have a better look at.’
Dr Robert Chen, chief of vaccines safety and development
at the US National Immunisation Programme at the Center for Disease Control
said: ‘It’s an interesting hypothesis in the sense that wild rubella is known
to be one of the risk factors of autism. This is one of the true causes of
autism, which has been well documented.’
But he said this would not explain why the same effect may
be seen in women revaccinated soon after giving birth.
Dr Yazbak said one explanation might be that the viruses
from vaccines could be passed to the infant via breast milk.
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