Why do people think vaccines cause autism?

Fears about a correlation between the MMR vaccine and autism were already spreading. Thimerosal Fears. A 2010 survey found that as many as 25% of U.S. parents think there is a link between vaccines and autism. In that same survey, 9 in 10 parents think that vaccines are important to the health of their children. read more

Although the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, our expert advisors, and many other reputable organizations agree that vaccines do not cause autism, there are still small but vocal groups who believe they do. read more

The recent news that one in five Millennials believes vaccines cause autism and that Millennials as a whole are more likely than older generations to say that parents should be able to choose whether or not to vaccinate their children comes as little surprise to those of us who have devoted time and attention to studying this cohort. read more