The false myth that vaccines cause autism has returned to the fore after the words of the president-elect of the United States, Donald Trump, who has suggested that there could be a relationship between childhood vaccination and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)but the experts are clear: No, it does not exist.
In an interview with TIME magazine, Trump asked specifically about vaccines and whether he would end childhood vaccination programs, although he did not answer directly, he did make allusions to his relationship with autism: “We are going to have a great debate. The autism rate is at a level no one thought possible. If we look, there is something that is causing it.”
In a document from the Spanish Ministry of Health on the myths and false beliefs about vaccines, it is emphasized that these are “very safe and effective medications”, which before being approved for marketing “are subjected to many strict studies to verify their safety.”
Likewise, once its use is authorized, a “constant monitoring of possible side effects”.
Childhood vaccines and autism: there is no relationship
Specifically, the document has a section on vaccines and autism and states that there is no relationship as proven. “in many studies”which have been compared in vaccinated and unvaccinated children around the world.
He cites two of the most relevant works, one of which involved half a million children, and in which researchers demonstrated that autism was equally common among vaccinated and unvaccinated children.
The other study, published in 2019, evaluated the relationship between the administration of the MMR vaccine and autism development in more than 650 thousand Danish children born between 1999 and 2010 and showed that the risk of developing this disorder did not increase.
“Many other studies, carried out in different countries, have reached the same conclusion,” says Sanidad, which cites them in the bibliography.
Health remembers that the false myth that links vaccines and autism arose after in 1998, a research group in the United Kingdom published in a British magazine “recognized prestige” a study that links the MMR vaccine (measles, rubella and mumps) with ASD, Autism Spectrum Disorders.
Years later it was discovered, explains Health, that it was a study “with little scientific evidence” which, among other things, included only twelve children and was “fraudulent,” in fact, the magazine retracted the article in 2010.
The psychologist from the Research Area of the Autism Confederation of Spain, Guillermo Benito, shows his concern that this type of hoax, which relates autism to vaccines, will be reactivated again.
He insists that it has already been shown that the study on which the false myth is based had been “a fraudulent investigation.”
It was clearly demonstrated that it was based on the economic interests of the researcher, who, in addition, had his license to practice medicine in the United Kingdom withdrawn,” points out the Confederation psychologist.
In his opinion, the link between autism and vaccines promotes insecurity among the population and is an issue that should not come back to light because “it should already be overcome.”
Furthermore, it abounds that if there is now more cases of autism It is because, among other things, there are “better resources” to detect it, something that does not happen throughout the planet, but in the most advanced countries.
AEV: a matter of science, not belief
On the website of the Spanish Association of Vaccinology (AEV) it is emphasized that “it is not a question of belief but of science” and that vaccines are not behind autism cases.
After citing several studies, he highlights that “current evidence” suggests that autism has no relationship with vaccination or maternal smoking, nor with assisted reproductive technologies.
On the contrary, advanced parental age is associated with a higher risk of ASD, as well as other pregnancy-related complications,” notes the AEV.
(With information from EFE)
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