Researchers find no link between MMR vaccine and autism

Researchers from the Institute of Epidemiology at the Faculty of Medicine in Belgrade have released a meta-analysis titled ‘Autism and the MMR Vaccine’. The study reviews 57 epidemiological studies involving 14.7 million children, concluding that there is no link between the MMR vaccine and the risk of developing autism spectrum disorders.

The findings indicate that neither the vaccine components nor the administration of the polyvalent MMR vaccine pose a risk for autism. The authors noted that while autism prevalence is increasing, evidence suggests a strong neurobiological basis with significant genetic components. Furthermore, recent data indicates that morphological brain changes occurring in infants aged 6–12 months—prior to receiving the MMR vaccine—precede the clinical manifestation of autism.

The report highlights that previous theories suggesting a link, dating back to 1998, led to decreased vaccination rates and subsequent measles outbreaks in regions where the disease had been nearly eliminated. The work has been published on the website of the Institute of Public Health of Montenegro.