Autism and Immunizations

The Federal Vaccine Injury Compensation Program recently gave compensation to a child with mitochondrial disease. This led to people questioning whether vaccines or other environmental factors would bring on or worsen autism-like symptoms in children.

The media has not accurately represented this case. It was a unique and isolated event which does not change the immunization recommendations for children under ordinary circumstances.

As pediatricians, we vaccinate our own children, the people we love dearest. We have no doubt about their benefits.

Vaccines continue to be a safe and effective way to prevent life threatening illnesses. We are concerned because we continue to see parents who choose not to vaccinate their children. This winter, we saw an outbreak of whooping cough, which affected many children who were not immunized. In San Diego this year there was an outbreak of measles among children not immunized. We see over and over cases of preventable disease among children because parents choose not to vaccinate.