Autism and Vaccines: A Controversial Correlation

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By: Alexa Meyler
Stonehill News Blog Staff

One of the biggest debates of recent years is the controversial topic of Autism and vaccines and if there is any correlation between the two
Hearing the perspectives of a qualified professor and a local mother of 4, information can be gathered on either side of this debate in order to debunk it and find out the true feelings of those who study it and those who are actually affected by it.
On Thursday, November 21st 2019, Stoneham, Massachusetts resident and registered nurse Rachael Sacco spoke through video chat about her views regarding Autism, vaccines, and if there is any correlation between the two topics. Sacco believes, “there is one hundred percent no correlation between these two concepts.” 
Sacco believes that, “vaccines are a necessary and harmless thing and to use them as a causation for Autism only speaks to the people’s unawareness of Autism as a disorder”. 
Sacco stated, “Children with Autism are so much more than a diagnosis, and in blaming this diagnosis on medications and scientific ideas it can be seen as blaming the parents.”.
Although Autism is seemingly unavoidable, Sacco said, “not vaccinating your children is not the answer because it could only lead to more severe illnesses”. 
Because, on the off chance that there is any correlation, she would “rather have a child with Autism be healthy and happy then ill due to not receiving the proper vaccinations.”
Sacco herself has two children with ADHD, “and does not see their diagnosis as a fault in a medical conflict, so why should Autism be treated any different?”
She believes that “If there is a known cure for this disorder, it definitely does not lie within medical reasoning.”
Sacco believes, “that all children should receive the vaccines necessary to thrive in society without sickness, and in depriving them of so with the logistics that it may cause Autism, “they are causing themselves more hurt than harm by feeding into concepts that are outdated and rather questionable.”
Sacco is confident in these modern views; however, through insight from a professor, the other side of this debate can be displayed.
Therefore, other perspectives were drawn from professor of Family and Disability Policy Studies Gardener Umbarger at University of Kansas, who has studied said issue for years and even taught special needs children at one point.
Umbarger received his masters of education from of Lynchburg College of Virginia in 1989, specializing in severe disabilities. He is often faced with said topic and the confusion on it in recent years.
Autism can be defined, according to Umbarger as, “a broad range of conditions characterized by challenges with social skills, repetitive behaviors, speech and nonverbal communication”.
Umbarger also mentions that Autism affects 1 in 59 children in the United States today, and usually appears between the ages of two and three therefore children of this age most likely have already received vaccines”.
Delving further into this issue, Umbarger talked of the origins of this correlation, beginning with the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine claiming to have this effect. However this study “only looked at twelve children”, already leading to inaccurate results. 
Umbarger stated that, “At the same time, many children were being diagnosed with Autism leading to this assumption”. 
From this, the other side of the debate appeared making for “many parents to not only blame themselves for something that is purely genetic but something that cannot be changed”.
Umbarger stated that, “Parents at the time were so desperate for a cure to Autism that they decided they must have an answer. With this they resorted to the only potential logic they could blame”.
However, after various follow up studies no supporting evidence was found. Umbarger noted that “this idea remained a concept for years after despite these results”. 
He sees this as, “Society jumping to conclusions in order to release their own feelings or guilt for having a child on the spectrum”. 
Ultimately, Umbarger understands that not only is the concept outdated, “but it is scientifically proven to be false”. 
Umbarger has worked with Autism and similar disorders and would have “never assumed such a thing as a causation of a yet to be solved issue”. 
In speaking to both Sacco and Umbarger it is easy to conclude that this study can be proven false. Although many are aware of the consistent disapproval of this study, there unfortunately still are people who believe in this correlation and continue to attempt to prove it. 
Sacco concludes, it is important to “make society aware of Autism and the causes in order to rid the world of assumptions not only about the child themselves but about the parenting skills of their guardians”.




Comments

  1. Stonehill News BlogDecember 6, 2019 at 9:14 AM

    Very good article

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousDecember 6, 2019 at 9:36 AM

    I liked that you picked a controversial topic like this

    ReplyDelete
  3. UnknownDecember 6, 2019 at 9:37 AM

    such a good topic to write about, well written too

    ReplyDelete
  4. Dan TrimbleDecember 6, 2019 at 9:40 AM

    I hope more people realize that there is no correlation between vaccines and autism. I'm happy this was made clear in the article.

    ReplyDelete

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