Explain The Controversary Over The MMR Vaccine To Me?

The ruckus stems mostly from a 1998 study published in a prestigious medical journal (The Lancet). The lead author was Andrew Wakefield, a Canadian born gastroenterologist (now working in Texas).

Wakefield reported on 12 autistic children who also had severe bowel disorders.  He noted anecdotal evidence from some parents that the children's problems had started soon after they had the MMR jab.

Wakefield  hypothesised that a component of this multi-protective jab might be damaging the digestive and nervous systems in sensitive individiuals, resulting in autism, Crohn's disease or related disorders.

Virtually no subsequent studies have backed up the idea that the MMR might contribute to the risk of autism developing.  Anti-MMR campaigners counter that the research following Wakefield has been inappropriate because it didn't test the right hypothesis; subsequent research has tested whether MMR could be a risk to the average child, not to children with a genetic susceptibility. That would be children with a history of autoimmune disorders in the family, such as Type I diabetes or lupus.

People who have studied the damage that measles can do, and know how unreliable some parents can be about getting their children any jab, feel that it is reprehensible to discourage parents from getting MMR to their kids.

People who feel certain that MMR has damaged their children feel outraged at being dismissed as fanatics.

Governments are stuck in the middle, with no evidence to back up the supposition that MMR is unsafe, and yet, a public duty to prevent something as bad as a measles epidemic from happening.

Plus, some people argue (not with very strong justification) that measles, mumps and rubella aren't that bad, either, so don't worry about it.

There have been u.s. University studies done recently that replicate Wakefield's findings.

Check out www.generationrescue.org      or www.nationalautismassociation.org for more information