Question

There's no proof that vaccines have not caused autism. The most plausible cause, however, is a combination of many things, including certain ingredients in vaccines

Answer 1

The claim that vaccines cause autism is a widely debunked myth. Extensive research has consistently shown no credible link between vaccines and autism. Autism is influenced by a complex mix of genetic and environmental factors, as highlighted by organizations like Autism Speaks and research from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The anti-vaccine movement has played a significant role in perpetuating this false belief. A major contributor to this myth was a 1998 study by Andrew Wakefield, a former English doctor published in The Lancet, which hypothesized that the MMR vaccine caused autism. However, the study had critical flaws. Since most children in England received the MMR vaccine, it was expected that many diagnosed with autism had also been vaccinated, making this correlation unsurprising. In addition, the study was later retracted due to scientific misconduct, as it misrepresented data and was deemed fraudulent. Despite its retraction, Wakefield's paper fueled misinformation, and its claims continue to influence public opinion. 

https://www.autismspeaks.org/what-causes-autism

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5789217/

https://www.chop.edu/vaccine-education-center/vaccine-safety/vaccines-and-other-conditions/autism

Comments

This response is very well thought out and you can tell, this user took their time and did a large amount of research, not only to just fact check this claim but to also find the evidence and explain how this is not true. This is seems like a very professional response and I am glad I can look at these trusted sources and believe your claim.

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This fact check is very well done and well researched. I really appreciated how you not only debunked the original claim but also provided evidence to show how this widespread myth was created and perpetuated. Additionally, I appreciated how you provided links to government sources in order to corroborate your claims.

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the fact check was very thorough and well thought through. it was great work to be able to debunk the original claim and prove what was wrong about it and how it was even able to spread and be made in the first place.

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This fact check covers all the bases when checking if a claim is correct or not. The evidence is also from trusted sources, including Autism Speaks, the non-profit organization. Overall, this fact is nicely done.

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I enjoyed this factcheck, not only did it address the topic at hand but also delving into the origination of the myth was helpful. The sources used to support are also very reliable sources not looking to simply grab your interest but to really inform. Throughly well done.

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This is a great fact check. Not only did you prove the claim false you also found the very origin of the myth and tackled it from the start of the rumor. I also enjoy how you supported the claim with multiple links.

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This factcheck is really well done and clearly well-researched. I really liked how you not only debunked the original claim but also explained how this myth spread and gained traction. I also appreciated that you included links to government sources to back up your points it made your argument even stronger. Great job!

Answer 2

After doing some research into the claim that "there's no proof that vaccines have not caused autism," it's clear that this statement is false. This misconception started from a 1998 study by Andrew Wakefield, which falsely linked the MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) vaccine to autism. The study was later stopped due to ethical violations and flaws in views, and Wakefield lost his medical license. More large scale studies have found no evidence supporting a link between vaccines and autism. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that vaccines do not cause autism. Similarly, the World Health Organization (WHO) has debunked the alleged connection between vaccines and autism. So, the accusation lacks scientific validity and has been proven to be not true.

https://www.who.int/groups/global-advisory-committee-on-vaccine-safety/topics/mmr-vaccines-and-autism

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3136032/

Comments

Great response, your sources are credible and provide clear information supporting your fact check which you cited in your response. I found your response helpful to better understand the lack of validity in the original claim.

Answer 3

The claim stated above has been proved false by endless articles. Many fact checks have been placed on studies and articles that support the idea that vaccines cause autism. The article, "Link between autism and vaccinations debunked" talks about how a study done in 1988 brought about this ideology placing a narrative that lacks evidence into peoples heads claiming there was a direct correlation between vaccines and autism. Autism is a condition which is related to the development of a child's brain, limiting the ability for certain behaviors and pathways to form. In the article, "Vaccines and Autism" it touches more on the study shared in 1988 by Andrew Wakefield's study published called "The Lancet" this article really tears back the layers on why his claim on the correlation between vaccines and autism is false, sharing that he did not perform tests before and after the vaccines, only after. The article, “A timeline of the Wakefield Retraction” says, “6 March 2004 Ten authors on the 1998 paper issue a retraction, and The Lancet's editor says the journal, in hindsight, should not have published the study.” Many people still believe that this claim is true even with all the information going against this claim. Another article that shows a study that proves the claim that vaccines do not cause autism is, “Autism and Vaccines” and it states, “ Researchers have also studied thimerosal, a mercury-based preservative used in many vaccines, to see if it had any relation to autism. The results are clear: The data show no relationship between vaccines, thimerosal and autism.” 

https://www.chop.edu/vaccine-education-center/vaccine-safety/vaccines-and-other-conditions/autism

https://www.mayoclinichealthsystem.org/hometown-health/speaking-of-health/autism-vaccine-link-debunked

https://www.nature.com/articles/nm0310-248b 

https://autismsciencefoundation.org/autism-and-vaccines/#:~:text=Vaccines%20Do%20Not%20Cause%20Autism&text=Researchers%20have%20also%20studied%20thimerosal,between%20vaccines%2C%20thimerosal%20and%20autism.