I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase “vaccines cause autism”. It’s the catch-cry of the anti-vaccination movement and a nagging doubt in the minds of worried parents.
And it’s completely and utterly false.
It is, however, believed by many to be true. And for this we can blame one Andrew Wakefield.
Wakefield was the man primarily responsible for linking vaccines with autism in the public consciousness.
And even though his studies have been shown to be ridiculously flawed, his intentions questionable, his conclusions false and his work discredited, the myth lives on.
Blogger Darryl Cunningham has put together an excellent graphical summary of the whole sorry saga. Check it out.