Examining Epidemiological Controversies Between MMR and Autism

This report delves into the contentious debate surrounding the MMR vaccine and its purported link to autism. It critically examines the epidemiological evidence, highlighting the absence of a scientifically proven association between the two. The report references multiple studies that refute the initial claims made by Andrew Wakefield, whose research was later discredited due to methodological flaws and undisclosed conflicts of interest. It emphasizes the consistent findings across numerous independent investigations, including those by the National Academy of Medicine, which confirm that there is no causal relationship between the MMR vaccine and the development of autism spectrum disorders. The report further addresses the potential impact of misinformation on public health, citing measles outbreaks resulting from vaccine hesitancy. Ultimately, the analysis underscores the importance of evidence-based decision-making in public health and the need to dispel unfounded fears surrounding vaccination.

Controversies in Epidemiology Between MMR Vaccination and Autism 1
CONTROVERSIES IN EPIDEMIOLOGY BETWEEN MMR VACCINATION AND AUTISM
By (Student’s Name)
Professor’s Name
College
Course
Date

Controversies in Epidemiology Between MMR Vaccination and Autism 2
Controversies in Epidemiology between MMR Vaccination and Autism
Question 1
(A)
The contemporary exposure-outcome association from the epidemiological literature
identified for this discussion is MMR Vaccines and Autism Association. This section describes
briefly the outcome epidemiology including the central determinants that is exposure linked to
outcome (Uno, Uchiyama, Kurosawa, Aleksic and Ozaki 2015). It has been confirmed in the
literature that no connection between MMR and Autism by essential studies. For example,
research that involved a group of ninety-five kids which is the newest to oppose the outcomes of
condemned Andrew Wakefield (gastroenterologist) found no association (Uno, Uchiyama,
Kurosawa, Aleksic and Ozaki 2015).
This was a foremost study that was printed in a global prominent medical journal and
determined no association between autism and MMR vaccination amongst kids. The outcome of
this study is never surprising to the scientists that have been comforting many parents of the
safety of injection for the seventeen years, since the publication of the currently shunned by a t,
Andrew However, the autism and this vaccination are connected endures triggering several
parents to reject immunizing their children. Consequently, there have been evadable measles
outbreaks, encompassing one in the United States in 2014 that started in Disneyland in California
leading to the closure of schools and quarantine measures.
(B) Describe the nature of the association
No evidence scientifically to show a connection between autism and MMR vaccine.
Queries regarding a conceivable relationship between them has been reviewed intensely by the
independence cohorts of specialists in the US, encompassing National Academy of Medicine.

Controversies in Epidemiology Between MMR Vaccination and Autism 3
Such evaluations have settled that the existing epidemiologic proof doesn’t back up a causal
association between autism and MMR vaccine (Jain et al. 2015.
The suggestion that MMR vaccine could trigger autism originated from Andrew
Wakefield in the UK. However, Andrew’s findings validity was questioned later when it failed to
be reproduced by investigators. Moreover, the outcome was additionally discredited when the
investigation discovered that Wakefield never disclosed that the funding was being done by
attorneys searching evidence to utilize it against the manufacturers of the vaccine (Miller, 2015).
Andrew became barred permanently in the United Kingdom from practicing medicine, and The
Lancet withdrew the initial article in the year 2010.
(C) Summarize the evidence-base
Over 25 studies refute the association between MMR vaccine and the autism
development. For example, Uno Yet al. probed the connection between the ASD onset risk and
initial MMR vaccine contact alongside thimerosal measured from the vaccines in extremely
genetically similar Japanese populace. It was concluded in this study that no persuasive proof
was detected in this research that MMR vaccination and rising thimerosal does be further linked
with a surged ASR onset risk. The sample involved children participants and the latest study
discovered that 994 children with autism had no relationship with MMR vaccination. The
findings of these studies remained consistent as they reached same conclusion that there was no
linkage between MMR vaccination and autism. The results are plausible based on biological
mechanism.
Question 2:
(A) Methodological limitations

Controversies in Epidemiology Between MMR Vaccination and Autism 4
Interpreting the association described in question 1 lack methodological limitation in that
there was no association observed and hence needless to be attributed to non-causal mechanisms.
Outcome measure was never influenced by the measurement or selection bias in these studies.
Moreover, the measure of exposure was never influenced by the measurement or selection bias.
The findings are never probable to be exaggerated by the confounding nor do they probable to be
exaggerated by variation chance (Taylor, Swerdfeger and Eslick 2014).
(B) Comment
There is no exposure-outcome association between MMR vaccination and Autism
development in children as confirmed by more than 25 studies. Therefore, the selected exposure-
outcome association cannot be considered 'casual.' This conclusion has been reached because
there is no association between the MMR vaccination and the autism (Davidson 2017). The
evidence remains both coherent and consistent as they have all disputed Andrew’s flawed study
that purportedly identified the “association.” Because there is no association between MMR
vaccination and autism, there are limitations in determining whether the “association” is one of
the cause and effect.

Controversies in Epidemiology Between MMR Vaccination and Autism 5
References
Davidson, M., 2017. Vaccination as a cause of autism—myths and controversies. Dialogues in
clinical neuroscience, 19(4), p.403.
Jain, A., Marshall, J., Buikema, A., Bancroft, T., Kelly, J.P. and Newschaffer, C.J., 2015. Autism
occurrence by MMR vaccine status among US children with older siblings with and without
autism. Jama, 313(15), pp.1534-1540.
Miller, E. (2015). Controversies and challenges of vaccination: an interview with Elizabeth
Miller. BMC medicine, 13(1), 267.
Taylor, L.E., Swerdfeger, A.L. and Eslick, G.D., 2014. Vaccines are not associated with autism:
an evidence-based meta-analysis of case-control and cohort studies. Vaccine, 32(29), pp.3623-
3629.
Uno, Y., Uchiyama, T., Kurosawa, M., Aleksic, B. and Ozaki, N., 2015. Early exposure to the
combined measles–mumps–rubella vaccine and thimerosal-containing vaccines and risk of
autism spectrum disorder. Vaccine, 33(21), pp.2511-2516.