Research & Studies
Stay informed by studying the science. These peer-reviewed articles and studies by medical experts adhere to rigorous scientific standards. Because they are administered broadly to healthy people, vaccines are among the most carefully studied and monitored medicines on the market today.
Scientific Studies
This section provides abstracts of peer-reviewed studies that have looked at the possible relationship between vaccines and autism. In addition, this section provides a chart of the most recent peer-reviewed scientific studies on thimerosal and autism.
Downloads
- Scientific Studies Quick Reference Chart
- Chart indicating the Number of Children Receiving Autism Services in California between 2002-2007
Articles
- Study Examining the Reduction of Disease Burden
- Measles-Mumps-Rubella (MMR) Vaccine and Autism Studies
- Thimerosal and Autism Studies
- Expert Commentaries
- Controversial Studies
Study Examining the Reduction of Disease Burden
"Historical Comparisons of Morbidity and Mortality for Vaccine-Preventable Disease in the United States" - Journal of the American Medical Association, Sandra W. Roush, MT, MPH and Trudy V. Murphy, MD (Volume 298, Number 18, November 14, 2007)
Measles-Mumps-Rubella (MMR) Vaccine and Autism Studies
"Lack of Association Between Measles Virus Vaccine and Autism with Enteropathy: A Case-Control Study"
-PLoS One, Hornig M, Briese T, Buie T, Bauman ML, Lauwers G, et al. (September 2008)
"Measles Vaccination and Antibody Response in Autism Spectrum Disorders"
-Archives of Disease in Childhood, Gillian Baird, F.R.C.Paed. (February 2008)
"Pervasive Developmental Disorders in Montreal, Quebec, Canada: Prevalence and Links With Immunizations"
-Pediatrics, Eric Fombonne, MD (Volume 118, Number 1, July 2006)
"MMR Vaccination and Pervasive Developmental Disorders: A Case-Control Study"
– The Lancet, Liam Smeeth, MRCGP (September 11, 2004)
"Association of Autistic Spectrum Disorder and the Measles, Mumps, and Rubella Vaccine"
– Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, Kumanan Wilson, MD, MSc, FRCP (July 2003)
"Neurologic Disorders After Measles-Mumps-Rubella Vaccination"
– Pediatrics, Annamari Makela, MD (Volume 110, Number 5, November 2002)
"No Evidence for a New Variant of Measles-Mumps-Rubella-Induced Autism"
– Pediatrics, Eric Fombonne, FRCPsych (Volume 108, Number 4, October 2001)
Thimerosal and Autism Studies
Continuing Increases in Autism Reported to California's Developmental Services System — Archives of General Psychiatry, Robert Schechter, MD, MSc and Judith K. Grether, PhD (January 2008)
"Early Thimerosal Exposure and Neuropsychological Outcomes at 7 to 10 Years" — New England Journal of Medicine, Thompson WW, Price C, Goodson B, et al. (September 27, 2007)
“Lack of Association Between Rh Status, Rh Immune Globulin in Pregnancy and Autism” — American Journal of Medical Genetics, Judith H. Miles and T. Nicole Takahashi (May 2007)
"Thimerosal Exposure in Infants and Developmental Disorders: A Prospective Cohort Study in the United Kingdom Does Not Support a Causal Association"
– Pediatrics, John Heron and Nick Andrews, PhD and Jean Golding, DSc (September 2004)
"Safety of Thimerosal-Containing Vaccines: A Two-Phased Study of Computerized Health Maintance Organization Database"
- Pediatrics, Thomas Verstraeten, MD (November 2003)
"Association Between Thimerosal-Containing Vaccine and Autism"
– Journal of the American Medical Association, Anders Hviid, MSc (October 2003)
"Thimerosal and the Occurrence of Autism: Negative Ecological Evidence from Danish Population-Based Data"
– Pediatrics, Kreesten M. Madsen, MD (September 2003)
"Autism and Thimerosal-Containing Vaccines: Lack of Consistent Evidence for an Association"
– American Journal of Preventive Medicine, Paul Stehr-Green, DrPh, MPH (August 2003)
"Thimerosal and Autism?"
– Pediatrics, Karen Nelson, MD (March 2003)
"Mercury concentrations and metabolism in infants receiving vaccines containing thiomersal: A descriptive study"
– The Lancet, Michael Pichichero, MD (November 2002)
Expert Commentaries
"Study Fails to Show a Connection Between Thimerosal and Autism"
- American Academy of Pediatrics (Spring 2003)
"Time to Look Beyond MMR in Autism Research"
- The Lancet (Volume 359, February 23, 2002)
"Statement by the Editors of The Lancet"
- The Lancet (February 23, 2004)
Controversial Studies
"Thimerosal, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and GlaxoSmithKline"
- Letter to the Editor of Pediatrics by Thomas Verstraeten, MD, MSc. (April 4, 2004)
"Ileal-lymphoid-nodular hyperplasia, non-specific colitis, and pervasive developmental disorder in children"
- The Lancet, AJ Wakefield, FRCS (Volume 351, February 28, 1998)