by parnassus » Sun Nov 13, 2005 9:14 pm
The MMR vaccine is currently routinely given to toddlers, as mumps, measles, and rubella can be fatal. But some people believe that the doses should be given separately, rather than all being packed into one vaccine. This is because parents have claimed their children developed autism after having the MMR. I believe this is false, because:
* Vast numbers of people have had the MMR - most of the school-age population - and they aren't autistic.
* In classic cases of autism, symptoms aren't apparent from birth. There is usually a regression that occurs when the child is about two years old - the same age as when toddlers are given the MMR. But regressions like this were occurring long before the MMR jab was developed, so that is not to say that there is a causal relationship between the two.
"This above all, to thine own self be true." - Polonius, Hamlet.