Background: After a rigorous review, the Institute of Medicine rejected the assertion that vaccinations cause autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in 2004. Despite this finding, many parents still express concern at the number and bundling of vaccinations administered to children in the first two years of life.

What’s new: Researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention conducted an intensive assessment of antibody-stimulating protein and polysaccharide content in vaccines administered to children between 1994 and 1999. These proteins and polysaccharides are molecules—known as antigens—that can stimulate an immune system response. The study, published in The Journal of Pediatrics, included 256 children with confirmed ASD and 752 control children. The researchers matched many variables between the two groups, including birth weight, maternal age, paternal age, education, and marital status.

Why it’s important: The researchers found that vaccinations are not a risk factor for developing ASD later in life, even when multiple vaccines are given at once. The results are relevant because the vaccinations children receive today contain a lower number of antigens than received by children before the year 2000, according to another study in the journal Pediatrics (Offit et al, 2002).

Do Vaccinations Cause Autism?

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