Vaccines Are Not Linked To Autism; Vaccine Myths Podcast, Part 1
Unbiased Science with Dr. Andrea Love
Extensive research has consistently shown no link between vaccines and autism. In reality, our current understanding of autism suggests that there is a strong genetic component and that autism may start developing in utero during fetal development.
The myth originated from a 1998 paper published in the Lancet by Andrew Wakefield, a former British gastroenterologist who is considered the “father of the anti-vaccine movement” and has done irreparable harm to public health. Since this paper, he has lost his medical license due to rampant fraud and ethical violations, and has fled to the US to continue to propagate anti-vaccine myths in the form of books, speaking engagements, and aligning with prominent celebrities that have been convinced of these lies.
It is critically important that we continue to correct anyone who is spreading this myth, whether they are doing so unintentionally or not. These unfounded concerns about vaccines are causing vaccine-preventable illnesses to re-emerge at a concerning rate, including measles. MORE