to date there is no convincing evidence that any vaccine can cause autism or any kind of behavioral disorder. a suspected link between the measles mumps rubella (mmr) vaccine and autism has been suggested by some parents of children with autism. typically symptoms of autism are first noted by parents as their child begins to have difficulty with delays in speaking after age one. the mmr vaccine is first given to children at 12 to 15 months of age. therefore autism cases with an apparent onset within a few weeks after the mmr vaccination may simply be an unrelated chance occurrence.
do childhood vaccines cause autism?