Sackler School of Medicine at Tel Aviv University, Israel; Maccabi Health Services, Israel.
Weinberg Developmental Center, at Safra Children's Hospital, Tel Hashomer, Israel.
Eur J Paediatr Neurol. 2022 Jan;36:151-158. doi: 10.1016/j.ejpn.2021.12.011. Epub 2021 Dec 22.
Among all of the studied potential causes of autism, vaccines have received some of the most scrutiny and have been the topic of many evidence-based studies. These efforts have led the great majority of scientists, physicians, and public health researchers to refute causation between vaccines and autism.
This presumed association and concern has been a major contributor to parents' refusal to immunize their children and has become a major threat to public health in secluded populations over the last two decades, even prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. With the emergence of COVID-19 immunizations, sentiments towards this topic were addressed as a public health concern that may influence the ability to overcome the Corona virus worldwide.
Despite the overwhelming data demonstrating that there is no link between vaccines and autism, many parents are hesitant to immunize their children because of the alleged association. Other contributing factors to the myths and conspiracy theories surrounding the association between vaccines and autism include the fact that the diagnosis of autism is typically made after the age of receiving the main childhood immunizations, as well as the occasional occurrence of regression after the age of first year vaccinations. In spite of vast evidence that the main contribution to the increase in incidence is from improvement of the diagnostic process, this rapid and publicized rise in autism diagnoses feeds parental concerns regarding any medical intervention that may be associated with the health of their children.
It is plausible that with more evidence-based studies linking autism to specific etiologies the myth will diminish and disappear eventually. In an era where conspiracy theories are prevalent on social media, it is critical that evidence-based studies relating autism to specific etiologies be made public, and that information concerning autism diagnosis and causes be made more readily available through social media and parental organizations.
在所有研究的自闭症潜在原因中，疫苗受到了最多的关注，并成为了许多基于证据的研究的主题。这些努力使得绝大多数科学家、医生和公共卫生研究人员反驳了疫苗与自闭症之间的因果关系。
这种被认为的关联和担忧一直是家长拒绝为孩子接种疫苗的主要原因之一，并在过去二十年中成为孤立人群中公共卫生的主要威胁，甚至在 COVID-19 大流行之前也是如此。随着 COVID-19 疫苗的出现，人们开始关注这一话题，认为这是一个可能影响全球抗击冠状病毒能力的公共卫生问题。
尽管有大量数据表明疫苗与自闭症之间没有联系，但许多家长由于所谓的关联而对为孩子接种疫苗犹豫不决。导致疫苗与自闭症之间关联的神话和阴谋论的其他因素包括，自闭症的诊断通常是在接受主要儿童疫苗接种后进行的，以及在接种第一年后偶尔会出现退行。尽管有大量证据表明发病率的增加主要是由于诊断过程的改善，但自闭症诊断的快速和广泛传播引起了家长对任何可能与孩子健康有关的医疗干预的关注。
随着更多基于证据的研究将自闭症与特定病因联系起来，这种神话可能会逐渐减少并最终消失。在社交媒体上阴谋论盛行的时代，至关重要的是要公开基于证据的研究，将自闭症与特定病因联系起来，并通过社交媒体和家长组织更方便地提供有关自闭症诊断和病因的信息。
