Clin Infect Dis. 2009 Feb 15;48(4):456-61.

Vaccines and autism: a tale of shifting hypotheses.

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Division of Infectious Diseases, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104-4399, USA. offit@email.chop.edu

Abstract

Although child vaccination rates remain high, some parental concern persists that vaccines might cause autism. Three specific hypotheses have been proposed: (1) the combination measles-mumps-rubella vaccine causes autism by damaging the intestinal lining, which allows the entrance of encephalopathic proteins; (2) thimerosal, an ethylmercury-containing preservative in some vaccines, is toxic to the central nervous system; and (3) the simultaneous administration of multiple vaccines overwhelms or weakens the immune system. We will discuss the genesis of each of these theories and review the relevant epidemiological evidence.

Comment in

Am Fam Physician. 2010 Sep 15;82(6):586.

PMID:: 19128068; [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
PMCID: PMC2908388

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T32 GM075766-05/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States

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