Further Evidence of MMR Vaccine Safety: Scientific and Communications Considerations

Editorials16 April 2019Further Evidence of MMR Vaccine Safety: Scientific and Communications ConsiderationsSaad B. Omer, MBBS, MD, PhD and Inci Yildirim, MD, PhD, MScSaad B. Omer, MBBS, MD, PhDRollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia (S.B.O.)Search for more papers by this author and Inci Yildirim, MD, PhD, MScEmory School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia (I.Y.)Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/M19-0596 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail It has been 20 years since, in a subsequently retracted study, Wakefield and colleagues (1) reported on 12 children with developmental delay, 8 of whom were diagnosed with autism within 4 weeks of receiving the measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine. Despite substantial limitations, the study received wide publicity, and the claims published in the article contributed to damaging confidence in the safety of the MMR vaccine, leading to a sharp drop in vaccination rates in the United Kingdom and, possibly, in other countries.Since the publication of the initial report by Wakefield and colleagues, and despite many subsequent studies not ...References1. Retraction—Ileal-lymphoid-nodular hyperplasia, non-specific colitis, and pervasive developmental disorder in children. Lancet. 2010;375:445. [PMID: 20137807] doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(10)60175-4 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar2. Madsen KM, Hviid A, Vestergaard M, Schendel D, Wohlfahrt J, Thorsen P, et al. A population-based study of measles, mumps, and rubella vaccination and autism. N Engl J Med. 2002;347:1477-82. [PMID: 12421889] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar3. Jain A, Marshall J, Buikema A, Bancroft T, Kelly JP, Newschaffer CJ. Autism occurrence by MMR vaccine status among US children with older siblings with and without autism. JAMA. 2015;313:1534-40. [PMID: 25898051] doi:10.1001/jama.2015.3077 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar4. Hviid A, Hansen JV, Frisch M, Melbye M. Measles, mumps, rubella vaccination and autism. A nationwide cohort study. Ann Intern Med. 2019;170:513-20. doi:10.7326/M18-2101 LinkGoogle Scholar5. Katz SL, Hinman AR. Summary and conclusions: measles elimination meeting, 16-17 March 2000. J Infect Dis. 2004;189 Suppl 1:S43-7. [PMID: 15106088] MedlineGoogle Scholar6. Zipprich J, Winter K, Hacker J, Xia D, Watt J, Harriman K; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Measles outbreak—California, December 2014-February 2015. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2015;64:153-4. [PMID: 25695321] MedlineGoogle Scholar7. Hall V, Banerjee E, Kenyon C, Strain A, Griffith J, Como-Sabetti K, et al. Measles outbreak—Minnesota, April-May 2017. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2017;66:713-717. [PMID: 28704350] doi:10.15585/mmwr.mm6627a1 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar8. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Measles cases and outbreaks. Accessed at www.cdc.gov/measles/cases-outbreaks.html on 25 February 2019. Google Scholar9. Cook J, Lewandowsky S. The Debunking Handbook. St. Lucia, Australia: University of Queensland; 2011. Google Scholar10. Dudley MZ, Salmon DA, Halsey NA, Orenstein WA, Limaye RJ, O'Leary ST, et al. The Clinician's Vaccine Safety Resource Guide: Optimizing Prevention of Vaccine-Preventable Diseases Across the Lifespan. Cham, Switzerland: Springer; 2018. Google Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia (S.B.O.)Emory School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia (I.Y.)Disclosures: The authors have disclosed no conflicts of interest. The forms can be viewed at www.acponline.org/authors/icmje/ConflictOfInterestForms.do?msNum=M19-0596.Corresponding Author: Saad B. Omer, MBBS, MD, PhD, Emory University, 1518 Clifton Road NE, Room 7017, Atlanta, GA 30322; e-mail, [email protected]edu.Current Author Addresses: Dr. Omer: Emory University, 1518 Clifton Road NE, Room 7017, Atlanta, GA 30322.Dr. Yildirim: Emory University, 2015 Uppergate Drive, Room 548, Atlanta, GA, 30322.This article was published at Annals.org on 5 March 2019. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsSee AlsoMeasles, Mumps, Rubella Vaccination and Autism Anders Hviid , Jørgen Vinsløv Hansen , Morten Frisch , and Mads Melbye Metrics Cited byA Select Bibliography of Actions to Promote Vaccine Literacy: A Resource for Health CommunicationMMR vaccine does not cause autismMore evidence shows no link between MMR vaccination and autismMMR vaccination not associated with autism 16 April 2019Volume 170, Issue 8Page: 567-568KeywordsAutismChildrenCohort studiesMMR vaccineMeaslesPrevention, policy, and public healthSafetyVaccine developmentVaccine hesitancyVaccines ePublished: 5 March 2019 Issue Published: 16 April 2019 Copyright & PermissionsCopyright © 2019 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF downloadLoading ...