Communicating science to the public: MMR vaccine and autism

Media attention and consequent public concerns about vaccine safety followed publication of a small case-series of children who developed autism after receipt of the measles–mumps–rubella (MMR) vaccine. Many well-controlled studies performed subsequently found no evidence that MMR vaccine causes aut...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Vaccine 2003-12, Vol.22 (1), p.1-6
Main Authors: Offit, Paul A, Coffin, Susan E
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Applied microbiology
Autism
Autistic Disorder - etiology
Biological and medical sciences
Child
Child, Preschool
Children & youth
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Humans
Immunization
Infant
Inflammatory bowel disease
Information Dissemination
Intestinal inflammation
Mass Media
Measles virus
Measles-Mumps-Rubella Vaccine - adverse effects
Measles-Mumps-Rubella Vaccine - standards
Microbiology
MMR
Mumps
Mumps virus
Rubella virus
Studies
Vaccines
Vaccines, antisera, therapeutical immunoglobulins and monoclonal antibodies (general aspects)
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Summary:Media attention and consequent public concerns about vaccine safety followed publication of a small case-series of children who developed autism after receipt of the measles–mumps–rubella (MMR) vaccine. Many well-controlled studies performed subsequently found no evidence that MMR vaccine causes autism. However, despite these studies, some parents remain concerned that the MMR vaccine is not safe. We will discuss the origins of the hypothesis that the MMR vaccine causes autism, studies performed to test the hypothesis, how these studies have been communicated to the public, and some suggested strategies for how this communication can be improved.
ISSN:0264-410X
1873-2518
DOI:10.1016/S0264-410X(03)00532-2