Autism and Children's Vaccines

Recent widespread media coverage regarding autism and childhood vaccinations prompted us to provide concerned parents with the following information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Florida Department of Health, and the Escambia County Health Department.

Vaccines Do Not Cause Autism
Vaccines do not cause autism. There have 16 scientific studies on this and none have found a link between childhood immunization and autism. Vaccines protect your child from diseases and that's why we recommend them. If you are still worried, the best thing to do is talk with your pediatrician because he or she knows your child's medical history.

Thimerosal in Vaccines
For many years, some individuals believed that autism was caused by the preservative thimerosal in vaccines.  In response to this concern, the scientific, medical and public health communities conducted many well-designed, independent studies to see if there was a meaningful link between childhood vaccination, the vaccine for measles, mumps and rubella (commonly called MMR), thimerosal, and autism.

These studies have been independently evaluated and critiqued by the Institute of Medicine, US Food and Drug Administration, and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and have not shown a causal relationship between childhood vaccinations, the MMR vaccine, thimerosal, and autism. Nonetheless, and as a precautionary measure, thimerosal was removed from all children’s vaccinations in 2002. All routinely recommended vaccines supplied by the Florida Department of Health for children less than 4 years of age do not contain thimerosal.

In May 2004, the Institute of Medicine released a report on vaccines and autism which found that neither thimerosal nor the MMR vaccines are associated with autism. Further, the Institute recommended that further research to find the cause of autism should be directed toward other lines of inquiry that are supported by current knowledge and evidence and offer more promise for providing an answer.

As a matter of science, medicine, and public health, evidence leads to the firm conclusion that vaccines and thimerosal do not cause autism.

Support for Families Living with Autism
On March 7, Governor Crist announced the creation of a statewide task force that will improve the way Florida shares resources and research on autism. The task force is made up of leaders in autism advocacy and treatment, health care practitioners, and family members of persons with autism. The task force is expected to look at a range of issues including diagnosis, screening, treatment, counseling and coping skills, access to services, assistance in obtaining services, financing, insurance coverage, long term economic impacts, and coordination of provider services, and case management. To read more about the Governor’s Council (we’ll provide a link to the news release, executive order, and eventually the website).

Related Links
CDC’s Autism Information Center
More on Studies of Vaccines and Autism