Autism, vaccination unrelated

A new study adds to a growing body of research ruling out the purported link between childhood vaccinations and autism spectrum disorders.

A report published in the Journal of the American Medical Association looked at nearly 100,000 children, finding that toddlers at elevated risk—those with an older sibling on the autism spectrum—were no more likely to be diagnosed with autism if they were vaccinated against measles, mumps and rubella, according to the Los Angeles Times.

The study adds to abundant research demonstrating that the MMR vaccine does not lead to autism in the general population. Overall, research shows that the age of onset, severity and risk of recurrence in families does not differ between vaccinated and unvaccinated children.