Assignment Task:
Reply from Adma G. Wilson-Romans
Hello Andcherla,
Given the strong scientific consensus dismissing vaccines as a cause and highlighting genetic-environmental interactions instead, what strategies do you think would be most effective for helping families understand the real contributors to ASD while reducing fear driven by outdated vaccine myths? Need Assignment Help?
Dr. Romans
Reply to Cassandra
Autism Spectrum Disorder, Intellectual Disabilities, or Childhood
Onset Schizophrenia
Q: Explain the controversy regarding vaccines as a possible cause of autism spectrum disorder. Does the current United States based research on the other causes of autism better explain autistic spectrum disorder? Use United States scholarly journal articles to explain your response.
The controversy regarding vaccines as a possible cause of autism spectrum disorder began in the late 1990s when a small study suggested a relationship between the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine and the onset of autism symptoms (DeStefano & Shimabukuro, 2019). Although this study was later retracted for serious ethical and scientific violations, the claims received widespread media attention and created lasting public fear. Parents became concerned that childhood immunizations might trigger neurological changes that lead to autism, especially because early vaccination occurs around the same time that autism symptoms begin to emerge. This timing created the appearance of a connection, even though later evidence showed no true causal relationship (Eggertson, 2010).
Public concern grew when thimerosal, a preservative containing ethylmercury, was inaccurately portrayed as harmful to the developing brain. Although thimerosal was removed from most childhood vaccines in the early two thousand, autism rates continued to rise (Hurley et al., 2010). This trend demonstrated that removing the preservative did not influence autism prevalence. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and some United States based studies have repeatedly confirmed that vaccinations do not increase the risk of autism. Large cohort studies, such as those published in Pediatrics and The New England Journal of Medicine, evaluated millions of children and found no difference in autism rates between vaccinated andunvaccinated groups (Madsen et al., 2002). These findings strongly support the conclusion that vaccines are not responsible for autism.
Current United States based research offers far more scientifically supported explanations for autism spectrum disorder.
Genetics is the most significant contributor. Studies published in JAMA Psychiatry and other peer reviewed journals show that autism has a strong hereditary component. Research involving twins demonstrates high concordance rates, indicating that genetic variation plays a major role (Genovese & Butler, 2023). Advances in genetic sequencing have identified numerous gene mutations associated with autism, many of which affect early brain development, synapse formation, or neuronal signaling (Zhou et al., 2022). These discoveries provide a more reliable explanation than the previously suggested vaccine theory.
Environmental and prenatal influences also appear to contribute to autism risk. Scholarly research from United States institutions identifies factors such as advanced parental age, maternal metabolic conditions such as diabetes and obesity, premature birth, and in utero exposure to certain infections. For example, studies from the National Institutes of Health show that maternal inflammation may alter fetal neurodevelopment (Love et al., 2024). Rather than pointing to a single cause, these findings suggest that autism arises from a combination of genetic vulnerability and early developmental influences.
In conclusion, the belief that vaccines cause autism is not supported by scientific evidence and originated from a discredited study that created widespread misunderstanding. Modern United States based research strongly supports genetic and prenatal factors as more accurate explanations for autism spectrum disorder. For this reason, health professionals continue to encourage routine immunization while focusing research efforts on the complex.