MMR Vaccine Case Study

The MMR vaccine was introduced into the UK in 1988. It replaced the measles, mumps and rubella vaccines. A study was published that suggested that there was a higher incidence of autism in individuals who had received the vaccine than those who had received separate vaccines.Some parents therefore opted to have their children vaccinated separately for the three diseases and others decided not to vaccinate their children at all. As a result the incidence of measles, mumps and rubella increased.Scientific evidence should be initially treated with caution. Before being accepted, the evidence should be critically appraised. Further studies are required. New knowledge may emerge that throws doubt on or supports the conclusions. Conflicts of interests must be ruled out. The study should be evaluated for sample size and bias.