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Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR) VaccineThe measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine is a combination vaccine that was licensed in 1971 to protect against measles, mumps, and rubella. These diseases are serious and can be potentially deadly. Each year in the United States, nearly 10 million doses of the vaccine are distributed. CDC continues to recommend two doses of MMR vaccine for all children: dose 1 at ages 12-15 months and dose 2 at ages 4-6 years. Due to high vaccination rates, outbreaks of measles, mumps, and rubella in the U.S. are not as common as they were before the vaccine began being used. However, these diseases still appear in the U.S. and people who decide not to vaccinate their children because of religious or personal beliefs put their children and others at risk for getting these diseases.
Because signs of autism may appear around the same time children receive the MMR vaccine, some parents may worry that the vaccine causes autism. Vaccine safety experts, including experts at CDC and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), agree that MMR vaccine is not responsible for recent increases in the number of children with autism. In 2004, a report by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) concluded that there is no link between autism and MMR vaccine, and that there is no link between autism and vaccines that contain thimerosal as a preservative. MMR Vaccine Safety Research Many carefully performed scientific studies have found no link between MMR vaccine and autism. These studies include:
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Page last reviewed: August 22, 2008
Page last updated: December 23, 2008 Content source: Immunization Safety Office |
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