New study rejects MMR's autism link

There is no link between the MMR vaccine and an increased risk of autism in children, according to a study published in The Lancet today.

In what has been described as the most detailed and comprehensive studies on the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine and autism carried out to date, no evidence was found to support a linkage.

This latest analysis refutes the results of Dr Andrew Wakefield's small-scale study, published in The Lancet in 1998, which suggested an autism connection - sparking off the MMR controversy.

The Medical Research Council (MRC) research team examined the medical records of 5,000 children registered with hundreds of general practices across England and Wales to identify whether those with autism, or other pervasive development disorders (PDDs), were more likely to have received MMR.

After comparing the vaccination histories of children diagnosed with PDDs and those who had no recorded diagnosis of these conditions, the authors concluded that there was "no evidence to support a connection between MMR and autism".

Dr Liam Smeeth, one of the lead scientists, said that the conclusions had been "consistent with evidence from a growing body of high-quality scientific studies".

"It is now time to move on and focus on research into other potential causes of autism which is urgently needed,” he said.

A Department of Health official welcomed the findings, saying they corroborated the findings of other international studies. The department spokesperson added that MMR had been recognised by the World Health Organisation as having an "outstanding safety record".

Following the controversy surrounding the safety of the MMR vaccine, it has been estimated that fewer than 82% of British children have been given the jab - which means that vaccination levels are now below that needed to avoid a measles epidemic.

(mmcg/gmcg)