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Decade-Long Study: Measles Vaccine Doesn't Cause Autism, Even in High-Risk Kids (reuters.com)
The measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine isn't associated with an increased risk of autism even among kids who are at high risk because they have a sibling with the disorder, a Danish study suggests. From a report: Concerns about a potential link between the MMR vaccine and autism have persisted for two decades, since a controversial and ultimately retracted 1998 paper claimed there was a direct connection. Even though subsequent studies haven't tied inoculation to autism, fear about the risk has weighed on parents so much in several communities across Europe and the U.S. that vaccination rates have been too low to prevent a spate of measles outbreaks.
In the current study, researchers examined data on 657,461 children. During this time, 6,517 kids were diagnosed with autism. Kids who got the MMR vaccine were seven percent less likely to develop autism than children who didn't get vaccinated, researchers report in the Annals of Internal Medicine. "Parents should not skip the vaccine out of fear for autism," said lead study author Dr. Anders Hviid of the Statens Serum Institut in Copenhagen, Denmark. "The dangers of not vaccinating includes a resurgence in measles which we are seeing signs of today in the form of outbreaks," Hviid said by email.
In the current study, researchers examined data on 657,461 children. During this time, 6,517 kids were diagnosed with autism. Kids who got the MMR vaccine were seven percent less likely to develop autism than children who didn't get vaccinated, researchers report in the Annals of Internal Medicine. "Parents should not skip the vaccine out of fear for autism," said lead study author Dr. Anders Hviid of the Statens Serum Institut in Copenhagen, Denmark. "The dangers of not vaccinating includes a resurgence in measles which we are seeing signs of today in the form of outbreaks," Hviid said by email.
Looks like it worked out for Austria. The socialist party was pretty much constantly part of the government since WW2 and Vienna (the capital) has had a socialist mayor since WW2 and has been topping Mercer's highest quality of living for the past years (i.e. since Mercer's been doing it).
And looking down the list of cities, I get to see Austria, Switzerland, New Zealand, Germany, Canada, Denmark, Netherlands, .... you have to go down to place 30 to find the first US city. Which is San Francisco. I may be wrong, but I don't see a single US city from a traditionally Republican run state in the first 50 at all.
We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
The math is well understood. Vaccines aren't 100% effective, so you need a certain large fraction of the population immunized so new outbreaks die off faster than they spread. And for the unvaccinated this still applies even if it was 100% effective.
This study shows there is no valid health concern. Rather than worry about profiteering drug companies charging a few tens of dollars, worry about profiteering talking heads disdaining vaccines charging tens of dollars for their book on TV and the Internet.
(-1: Post disagrees with my already-settled worldview) is not a valid mod option.