Frequently, parents ask me if there is any connection between vaccinations and the rate of autism. I have not seen any solid scientific evidence linking vaccinations to autism. Autism symptoms become most evident around the age of 18 months because that is when many parents notice that their child is not as verbal as other children. This is also coincidentally when children get a round of vaccines.
Do I think there are some children that have severe side effects to vaccinations? Yes, there are – there are always a small percentage of people that get severe reactions to any medication. Do these severe reactions cause actual autism? It’s rather unlikely, especially considering the increasing evidence that autism is a genetic disorder.
There are benefits and risks to any medication – but the benefits of the vaccinations greatly outweigh the risks.
I’m more concerned about a disease epidemic, such as measles, due to an increased number of children not receiving vaccinations. That is what we should be really worried about.
