The circulation of the harmful myth that the MMR vaccine is linked to Autism has caused such wide-scale fear that Futureproof decided to look at the truth about this controversy. Adam Finn, Professor of Paediatrics at the University of Bristol joins us to explain why this myth is not to be believed.
The rise of this concern can be attributed to one man; Andrew Wakefield, who reported the idea that there was a link between the MMR vaccine and autism. Prof Finn explains why Wakefield’s research is heavily flawed and he does this by explaining the different stages of scientific research; stages that Wakefield's research never reached.
When asked if there was any evidence that disproves Wakefield’s theory, Prof Finn speaks about the extensive work that has been carried out at the large scale level, comparing children who have been vaccinated against children who haven’t and also looking at populations where the vaccine has been introduced and tracking any incidents of autism to see if there was a link. These tests have failed to show a link between the MMR vaccine and autism, showing that Wakefield research is nothing but a harmful myth.
You can hear the whole interview this Saturday from 10am.
For further reading on the subject here are some links which further establish that there is no link between MMR and Autism
