Are vaccines a partial cause of autism, as Secretary Markwayne Mullin suggested?

Multiple large-scale studies and major health organizations worldwide have repeatedly found no causal link between vaccines and autism.

The idea stems from a 1998 article published by gastroenterologist Andrew Wakefield that described, through retrospective accounts by parents and physicians, eight children manifesting autistic symptoms after receiving the MMR vaccine.

Though the paper was eventually retracted due to serious professional misconduct, financial conflicts of interest, and falsehood, and the author’s license was revoked, the idea had become a public concern because of the attention it gained from the media, politicians, and tort lawyers.

Many methodologically sound studies, which included more than 1.8 million children, have since explored associations between autism and MMR vaccines and have consistently found none.

Autism’s seemingly rapid rise can be explained by factors including broadening diagnostic criteria and increasing awareness and testing.