Vaccine-Induced+Autism

=__Vaccinated-Induced Autism__=

[[image:healthinformatics/Vaccine_KTSM.jpg width="301" height="228"]](theblaze.com)
Vaccinated-Induced Autism is the concept and idea that the overload of vaccinations during a child’s first year of life can induce or cause autism, or a related disorder that falls on the autism spectrum. This sparked national controversy in the United States when a fraudulent research paper was published in a medical journal called The Lancet. The research paper was partially retracted in 2004, and fully retraced in 2010.

The vaccinations that were focused on in the research paper was the MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) or the MMR-V (measles, mumps, rubella, and chickenpox) vaccine. When the research paper was first published in the late 1980s, vaccinations in the United States, Britain, and Ireland decreased drastically (Godlee, et al, 2011). The consequence of such was an increase in measles and mumps in children leading to a minor epidemic in which numerous fatalities or permanent disabilities occurred.

Unfortunately, even after the paper and research has been proven to be fraudulent, people still champion this as an important cause, leading to misinformation about vaccines with consequences effecting young children and babies.

A separate study conducted by the CDC that was published in the Journal of Pediatrics “addressed a current conern about the relationship between autism spectrum disorder and vaccination, which centers on the number of vaccines and vaccine antigens given to infants and children” (DeSetefano, 2013). The study compared data between the level of immunologic stimuli received from vaccinations during the first two years of life and the development of ASD. The findings “showed that neither the number of antigens from vaccines received on a single day of vaccination, nor the total number of antigens received during the first two years of life, is related to the development of autism” (DeStefano, 2013).

**Applications:**
Vaccinated-Induced Autism has a few challenged to overcome in the Health Informatics field.

First, it must be established that all medical research has proven that vaccinations do not link to autism or disorders that fall on the autism spectrum. Since children under the age of 18 are the main recipients of vaccinations, their parents are responsible for their EHR or PHR. Ensuring that they are using them correctly and accurately falls on the parent and the clinician in charge.

Since the controversy is so widespread, healthcare technology is going to need to have either a disclaimer clause or an informational section about the MMR/MMR-V controversy on medical forms or medical technology as an act of full disclosure for possible legal reasons. An electronic form allowing parents to acknowledge they are aware of the controversy before proceeding with vaccinations may become necessary in certain cases to protect healthcare providers.

**Web Resources:**
http://www.iom.edu/

**Related Terminology:**
Autism Autism Spectrum PPD NOS: Pervasive Developmental Disorders - Not Otherwise Specified

**Works Cited/Research:**
Deer, B (January 06, 2011). How the case against the MMR vaccine was fixed. Retrieved from http://www.bmj.com/content/342/bmj.c5347.full

Godlee, F, Smith, J, Marcovitch, H, (March 15, 2011). Wakefield’s article linking MMR vaccine and autism was fraudulent. Retrieved from http://www.bmj.com/content/342/bmj.c7452.full

DeStefano, F (April 12, 2013). Vaccines and Autism: CDC Study Says No Connection Retrieved from http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/782237