Two weeks ago, a study was performed using the case studies of nearly 1.3 million children to prove yet again that there is no correlation between the application of vaccines and the development of autism in children.

For those less informed, there has been controversy surrounding the possible relationship between vaccinations and autism in children, but it really came to light during 1998 when a research paper focusing on the possible causation of autism from the combined measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine was published. Even more eyes were drawn to the subject when, in 2007, Jenny McCarthy claimed that her son’s autism was caused by his childhood vaccinations. The anti-vaccination movement only picked up speed from there, as a surprising amount of other parents and celebrities also chose not to vaccinate their children on the off chance that she was right. There have since been multiple other studies that have proved the lack of relationship between vaccines and autism, as well as outbreaks of diseases thought to be previously eradicated spreading at an alarming rate through children whose parents had refused to vaccinate them for fear of “getting them autistic.” Over 53 people in ten states have been diagnosed with measles in just two months time, which is alarming considering that the disease had been all but wiped out in the US just ten years ago. Despite this overwhelming evidence to the harm of what is being done, many people still maintain their stance of anti-vaccine, and the movement persists.

This most recent study is one of the largest to ever be done on the subject, so hopefully it might be able to change some minds. Professor Guy Eslick has taken 1.25 million case studies of individual children and put them together in an effort to find out once and for all whether or not there was any connection between childhood immunizations and autism. To put it bluntly, he found nothing. Not a single sign of any relationship between vaccines and autism. Even the professor himself was surprised with his results after seeing so much anti-vaccine propaganda but admits to be happy overall with what he’s found.

While this most likely won’t shift the minds of those dead set on never vaccinating their children, it can at least be considered a step in the right direction in hopefully changing the minds of those that have been on the fence about the issue.

Sources:

http://hollywoodlife.com/2014/05/19/vaccinations-do-not-cause-autism-childhood-immunizations-study/

http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2014/3/3/measles-outbreakssparkfearsofreturnofadisease.html

http://animals.io9.com/study-of-1-3-million-kids-reveals-vaccines-arent-associ-1577691180?asdfghj