Nearly all of the leading health organizations including the CDC and the NIH say that there is no relationship between vaccines and autism. Yet many parents and smaller research groups are convinced there is more to the story, and the doubts about the safety of vaccines linger in the minds of many parents. How did this controversy get started -- and why is it still such a concern?
Before launching into the issues surrounding vaccines and autism, it's important to note that, with very rare exceptions, no one on either side of the vaccine issues is "anti-vaccine." Every doctor and researcher with any real credentials acknowledges that vaccinations have saved thousands and possibly millions of lives -- and even those doctors who are most vocal in their concerns about vaccines offer recommendations for what they consider to be "safe" vaccines.
Now, on to the concerns themselves. To begin with, it's important to note that there are not one but two vaccine controversies, and both are hot topics right now.
