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December 06, 2002
INTERNATIONAL IMMUNIZATION NEWS
"A Population-Based Study of Measles, Mumps, and Rubella Vaccination and
Autism"
New England Journal of Medicine (www.nejm.org) (11/07/02) Vol. 347, No. 19,
P. 1477; Madsen, Kreesten Meldgaard; Hviid, Anders; Vestergaard, Mogens
A link between the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine and autism has
been suggested by some scientists. Existing literature, however, does not
support the association. A Danish study was undertaken recently to heed
the World Health Organization's call for more research on the topic. The
mean age for MMR vaccination among the 537,303 children in the sample pool
was 17 months and the mean age for diagnosis of an autistic disorder was
four years and three months. The researchers found no relationship between
vaccination itself, the age at vaccination, the interval since vaccination
and the calendar period at the time of vaccination, and autism. The
researchers also dispute notions that an increase in the disorder always
happened in regions that have begun widespread use of MMR vaccines.
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