...that vaccines cause autism (Gross, 2009). Because of this lack of trust in vaccinations, the US saw the largest outbreak of measles in 2008, a disease that was declared eliminated in 2000, due to decreased rates of vaccinations (Ratzan, 2010). Mumps and whooping cough also made a comeback. By 2007, over 5,000 parents of children with autism had sued for compensation. One case in November of 2007 solidified beliefs that vaccines cause autism. The Department of Health and Human Services acknowledged that vaccines had aggravated a preexisting disorder in a baby girl, which caused “regressive encephalopathy with features of...
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...Literature Review: Vaccines vs Autism Emily Willingham and Laura Helft/posted 09.05.2014/NOVA www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/body/autism-vaccine-myth.html In the late 90’s the vaccine Measles, Mumps, and Rubella know as (MMR) was said to have a link to Autism in children. In my literature review I compared two articles both from the relation to Vaccines and Autism from the late 90’s until the present time. The assertion that vaccines could be linked to Autism burst onto the international stage with the 1998 publication of a paper in the British journal “The Lancet”. (Willingham, E.; Helft, L.et.al.) The other article I reviewed has somewhat of a different outlook. The 1998 publication of a study suggesting an association between (MMR) vaccine and Autism, 13 studies in five countries showed no such link, no data supported any causal connection between the (MMR) vaccine and Autism. (Thompson, J.et.al). I will describe the problem, if the vaccine MMR is the cause of Autism in infant children. Is this vaccine the cause of infant babies developing Autism? Here is what the problem was thought to be in the vaccine MMR. According to the article “The Autism/Vaccine Myth” the vaccine MMR is not responsible for Autism. The myth behind this assumption is first the ingredients used in the vaccine MMR and then the febrile seizures that the parents were concerned about. According to the U.S. Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, most febrile seizure happen when a child is sick rather than...
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...relationship between autism and the MMR vaccine appears in all the articles. Dr. Andrew Wakefield appears to be the driving force behind the concept. In the articles, suggestions by Dr. Andrew Wakefield that there might be an association between autism and MMR vaccine are recurring. Wakefield’s ideas have also been labeled as fraud with intent to commit deliberate fraud. Wakefield’s studies have also been withdrawn and we can see further that he is later denied the right to practice medicine in England. This is evident in the various articles. In the article by Michael Wilrich (2011), “how the pox incident changed vaccination rules,” we see that Dr. Wakefield’s report in the medical journal, The lancet, which suggested on the possibility between the MMR and vaccination, was discredited and debunked. According to Wilrich, (2009), “The Lancet withdrew the study in 2010. Later in 2011, the study was labeled a deliberate fraud (Wilrich, 2011). In the article, anatomy of scare, Begley, (2009), Dr. Wakefield is still adamant about the relationship between the vaccine and autism. Suggesting that the vaccine damaged the intestines allowing harmful proteins to leak into the blood system where they caused neurons damage. Wakefield was adamant, “it is a resolved.” In the articles much is talked about on the relationship between vaccine and autism but it has not been scientifically proven to substantiate the claims. Parents are weary of the threat posed by use of the vaccine and are afraid of...
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...A Healthy Heresy: Vaccines Do Not Cause Autism According to a study done by Public Health Reports, of the parents who delay or refuse vaccinations for their children 57% said their reason for not vaccinating their children was fear of autism (Levs 4). Since the speculation of a causal relationship of vaccinations and Autism began the world has seen some of the most threatening outbreaks of diseases that would have been preventable with the use of vaccines ("The End of the Vaccines Cause Autism Myth." 2). Is it the vaccines causing the problem, or the overprotective parents that are endangering their child and many other people’s children? Parents who do not trust science for vaccinations continue to trust science for other ways such as “to...
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...The Link Between Vaccines and Autism Page | 1 The Link Between Vaccines and Autism Bethany P. Isaac PSYC1060: Psychology for the Health Care Professional The Link Between Vaccines and Autism Autism is a term used to describe a group of conditions that involve brain development known as autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) or pervasive developmental disorders (PDDs). Autism is a regressive neurological disorder that can range from moderate to severe. Vaccines are a substance used to stimulate the production of antibodies and provide immunity against disease. What, you might be asking, is the significance of introducing these two definitions? It all began in the 1990’s, with a significant spike in autism diagnoses throughout the world. Concern, even fear spread. What was the cause? How could the trend be stopped? It is perfectly reasonable to ask questions about this increasing prevalence, which certainly suggests an environmental cause. Vaccines, therefore, were largely portayed as the environmental cause, even before extensive research had been set in motion. The media cought ahold of the idea, and just like that, the world was influenced by the idea. Even today, autism rates are rising yearly. According to the CDC, in 2000 the prevalence of autism was 1 in 150, and in 2010 it had increased to 1 in 68. But surely vaccines are not the case. The short answer is that much of the increase in the number of diagnoses can be explained by a broadening of the definition, increased...
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...What causes Autism? Some people believe that vaccines are the cause of autism in children. There have been past articles who have blamed levels of mercury in infant routine vaccines to be responsible for infants developing autism (Lord, 2011). Some parents are having second thoughts about their infant’s routine vaccines and opting not to vaccinate their children at all. Infants are put at high risks and are prone to getting serious and deadly diseases. The fear of having an autistic child is blinding the parents from the true problem, which is not vaccinating their children and making them vulnerable to more serious life threatening diseases. Vaccines aren’t the only thing that exposes us to mercury, there are certain foods we eat that also have some amount of mercury in them. Fish, for example, is known to have mercury, yet we still eat fish and don’t blame fish for autism instead we blame vaccines. Doctors actually recommend pregnant women to cut down on the amount of fish intake or to simply avoid fish during pregnancy. Furthermore, if vaccines were made to help infant’s immune system to get stronger and keep them from being vulnerable to certain deadly diseases, then why would parents blame vaccines for autism? Parents should be educated about vaccines, the...
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...Vaccines, Do They Cause Autism in Children? Michael L Eisenmenger Western Governors University Vaccines, Do They Cause Autism in Children? Vaccinations have been used for centuries to prevent the spread of some of the most dangerous diseases in humans. In 1998, a research study from Dr. Andrew Wakefield was published in the journal Lancet, suggesting common vaccinations were the cause of autism in children (Brink. 2013). That study has since been retracted by the Lancet and Dr. Wakefield has had his medical license revoked. However, the rates of vaccinations have declined because of the study and new outbreaks of diseases once considered eradicated are killing children. Research has shown that vaccines are not a cause of autism in children because the preservatives suspected of causing autism have been removed from them, research studies have shown no link between the two, the original research has been proven false, and the diagnosis of autism has changed. Ever since the debate of vaccines being a cause of autism has started, the ingredient thimersol has been one of the focus’ of study. Thimersol is a preservative that was used in vaccines until 2001. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has stated, “In 2001, thimersol was removed or reduced to trace amounts in all childhood vaccinations except one type of influenza vaccine, and thimersol-free alternatives are available for influenza vaccines.” (CDC, 2014) Thimersol contains the type of mercury...
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...Do Childhood Vaccinations Cause Autism? Jennifer Jones XBCOM / 275 August 24, 2014 Kristine Dunn Do Childhood Vaccinations Cause Autism? The idea that autism is caused by childhood vaccinations has been influencing public policy, even though rigorous studies do not support this hypothesis. Legislators are right to take into account the concerns of parent groups and other individuals who are directly affected by autism, but policy decisions should be based on hard evidence rather than unproven ideas. The hypothesis is based on the observation that the number of autism cases increased in the years of the 1980s, coinciding with a push for greater childhood vaccinations, which increased above recommended levels of a child’s exposure to mercury in the vaccine preservative, called thimerosal. The autism diagnosis continued to rise even after thimerosal was removed from the United States childhood vaccines in the year of 2001. A review by the Institute of Medicine, of over 200 studies concluded that there were no links between vaccines containing thimerosal and autism. Autism is no more common among vaccinated children than those children who are unvaccinated, and its incidence has not varied with the presence of thimerosal in vaccines across different times and locations. These findings have not persuaded supporters of the mercury autism link, whose strategies have become more extreme as the evidence against the hypothesis have mounted. Mercury is a known neurotoxin,...
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...Student’s name Teacher’s name Course name Date The impact of immunization on the development of autism In recent years, a worldwide concern over immunization and its schedule has increased dramatically. The vaccine-autism hypothesis belongs to the most extensively debated theories related to the origins of Autism Spectrum Disorder. Critics of dangerous ingredients contained in vaccines designate that such preservatives may contribute to, or cause, a range of cognitive disorders in children. When administered at early age, immunization may seriously affect neurological and not completely developed immune systems. In contrast, both biological and epidemiological studies tend to contradict the vaccine-autism theory. Given this fact, it is of vital importance to thoroughly examine both sides of the coin and come to a reasonable conclusion. PECULIARITIES OF AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER Autism, or, more broadly, Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), includes a number of complex cognitive and communicational disorders. According to Richard Lathe, the molecular biologist, autism is difficult to define (20). However, there exists a range of distinctive peculiarities, by which one can recognize ASD. Repetitive patterns of behavior, a withdrawal from social relatedness and interaction, and specific movement patterns characterize autism. The symptoms occur from early childhood, usually at age of 2-3 years, and affect daily functioning (Lathe 32). The diagnosis of ASD incorporates the evaluation...
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...is a process where a person is injected with a substance to make them immune to a disease. Diseases that can make you sick, disabled or even kill you. Most vaccines contain the disease that it is trying to protect you from by building up your immune system to help you fight it if you ever come across the real thing. Many parents of an autistic child blame the condition on vaccines being the direct and only cause. Often, many of those parents have no real concrete evidence to support their claim. Those parents usually are just reading blogs of parents who are facing the same issue. Over the past decade many parents face the hard decision on whether they want to vaccine their child or not. Jenny McCarthy said, “If you ask...
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...mumps, rubella) vaccine causes children to develop autism shortly after receiving it. There seems to be a clear line drawn between those who believe the vaccine causes autism and thise who refute the claim. On one side, there are the parents who claim their child was “normal” until receiving this vaccine, and on the other side, there are the researchers, doctors, and drug companies who have completed in –depth studies of the MMR vaccine, and say that it is safe. According to an article in the Lancet, a British Medical Journal, Dr. Andrew Wakefield, completed a study that proved there was a connection between the MMR vaccine and early autism in children who were seemingly normal before they received the vaccine. He claimed that the vaccine inflamed the gut and that allowed the “toxic substance” to enter the bloodstream. The National Autism Association has even focused on the vaccine preservative, thimerosal, as a possible culprit. However, since 1992, thimerosal has been removed from all vaccines in the United States, and autism diagnoses continue to climb. Most children are given their first dose of MMR at around 12 – 15 months of age. Some parents are reporting that shortly after their child received this vaccine was when they noticed a change in their child. The parents of these kids are saying that their child was developing normally, and then started regressing during the second year of life. However, when talking with doctors and researchers about autism, they say that...
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...of them occur at birth. Some of them have no true cause--for example autism. Autism is a serious development disorder that is present in early childhood, it makes it difficult to communicate and socialize with others. There are almost 200,000 cases in the United States per year. Autism is diagnosed more in males than in females. In the early 90’s there was an increase in children being diagnosed with autism as well an increase in the number of vaccines children received (Novella 1). Many people believe there is a link between the MMR vaccine and autism, because they connect vaccine-injuries, side effects of specific ingredients may be causing autism, and...
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...Gregory Carter Comp II Mr. Best Final Paper Is there a link between vaccines and Autism? For many years now there has been an intense debate over the link between the cause of Autism and vaccinations. Since its appearance in the medical community the cause has come under much scrutiny. Research has been conducted by many leading scientist, always to be debunked by skeptics worldwide. The historic timeline for Autism always seems to correlate to an outbreak in new treatments and vaccinations. Some communities worldwide do not receive vaccinations and have no symptoms of Autism within their population, while there are others that do receive them and show no symptoms either. Based on these factors, one cannot surely believe there if there is a link between vaccines and Autism. Although Autism has become more common today than in the past, it is still very much misunderstood. Many people think that it is a disease, something contagious however it is a disorder, not a disease. There are many forms of Autism, labeled in the Autistic spectrum disorder, however it is a very complex disorder that affects the brain, and the immune system (A Medical mystery 2). The severity varies from child to child but the symptoms are pretty typical ranging from social skills, sensory issues, to slurred speech and uncontrollable body movements. It affects children of all ages but most commonly diagnosed around the age of three (2). The disorder crosses all economic and social boundaries, however...
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...A big topic up for debate is whether or not vaccinations can cause Autism. Autism is a mental condition, present from early childhood, characterized by difficulty in communicating and forming relationships with other people and in using language and abstract concepts. Typically autism can be detected form age 18-24 months. By this time most vaccines required for young children have taken place, one of the main reasons parents think vaccines cause autism. Developmental specialist usually pick up on the signs at younger ages, before the parents begin to notice anything out of the ordinary. There are measurable differences in the brain function and structure of children with and without autism. “Starting in the first six months of life, many autistic...
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...Susan Hoehing ENGL 1150-005 3 April 2008 Autism is a complex neurobiological disorder that typically lasts throughout a person’s lifetime. It is a part of a group of disorders known as autism spectrum disorder, or ASD. Currently, 1 in 150 individuals are diagnosed with autism, which makes it more common than even pediatric cancer, diabetes, and AIDS combined. Autism can occur in all racial, ethnic, and social groups but it is four times more likely to strike boys than girls. It impairs a person’s ability to communicate and relate to others, and is also associated with rigid routines and repetitive behaviors, such as obsessively arranging objects or following very specific routines. Symptoms can range from very mild to quite severe. Debates over the cause of autism have been battling for a very long time, yet there is still not an answer. Majority of people blame the disorder on vaccines administrated to children while they are young. Many activists have claimed that autism rates have skyrocketed since many of these vaccines were mandated for children. The two vaccines thought to be the cause of autism are the MMR, measles-mumps-rubella vaccine, and thimersal which contained a mercury preservative up until seven years ago. Because of this belief many people have reframed from getting their children and themselves vaccinated against life-threatening diseases. Then in 2000 an Immunization Safety Review Committee was formed by the Institute of Medicine to investigate. Their conclusion...
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