Measles (Rubeola) (cont.)
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Is there any truth to the fear of getting autism from vaccines?
There is no valid scientific evidence that the measles vaccine, or any other vaccine, is the cause of autism. The possibility of an association between
the measles vaccine and autism was proposed by Andrew Wakefield and colleagues in 1998. The research published by Wakefield was found to be flawed, and the results have not been able to be repeated by other researchers. Since 1998, there have been numerous studies that have examined for such an association. None of these studies have shown any risk of autism associated with the use of the vaccine. A recent study performed in Japan after the MMR vaccine was removed from the market showed that autism continued to increase after the vaccine was no longer being utilized. Although autism is a very serious disease that warrants good research to find out its many causes, not obtaining vaccinations is potentially dangerous and not supported by the best scientific data available today.
Who should not receive measles vaccinations?
The following groups of people should not receive measles vaccinations:
- People who have suffered a severe allergic reaction to either the measles vaccine or its components (gelatin or neomycin) should not receive the vaccine.
- Women known to be pregnant should not receive the vaccine. Pregnancy should be avoided for
four weeks after vaccination.
- Severely immunocompromised patients (cancer patients or patients who are receiving large doses of corticosteroids) should not receive the vaccine. However, those leukemia patients who have been in remission for
three months may receive the MMR.
- Patients with severe human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections should not receive the vaccine. However, asymptomatic patients with HIV are considered to be safe for vaccination. The CDC has issued guidelines for vaccination based on the CD4+ T-lymphocyte counts.
- People with a moderate to severe acute illness should wait until their illness resolves before receiving the vaccine.
Patients with history of thrombocytopenic purpura or thrombocytopenia (low platelets) may be at increased risk, and immunization should be decided on a case-by-case basis.
Next: If a child has an egg allergy, can they still receive the vaccine? »
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