Do Autism Rates Correlate With the Immunization Schedule?

The Real Truth About Vaccines

Anti-vaccine influencers are still pushing the idea that vaccines are associated with autism. Now, if that were true, then we should see a very clear correlation between rates of autism and the vaccines on the immunization schedule, right?

Well, let’s take a look!

Do Autism Rates Correlate With the Immunization Schedule?

We will start with the immunization schedule from the 1960s.

In 1960, kids got up to 3,217 different antigens from the smallpox (200 antigens), polio (15 antigens), diphtheria, tetanus and whole cell pertussis (about 3,002 antigens) vaccine. Today, they get more vaccines, but just 179 different antigens!

Why?

Mostly to understand that kids in the 1960s got many more vaccines than most people believe.

And these were vaccines with many more antigens than our kids get today - vaccines that contained thimerosal and aluminum.

But somehow didn’t cause any autism…

Next, let’s look at the immunization schedule from 1992.

By the 1990s, the smallpox vaccine was gone, and we had added the Hib, hepatitis B, and MMR vaccines.

After all, that’s when we see autism rates jump from 1 in 2,500 in the 1960s to 1 in 150 in the report that was put out in 2000 of kids who were born in 1992.

The only changes to the immunization schedule were that we were beginning to move to giving IPV, the polio shot, and away from the oral polio vaccine. And we were switching to DTaP from DTP. Plus the chickenpox vaccine was added to the schedule. By now, flu vaccines are recommended for all pregnant women, but vaccination rates are low, about 15%.

And it increased to 1 in 110 by 2006 for kids who were born in 1998, with only a very minor change to the immunization schedule.

Next, let’s jump to 2010, when autism rates increased to 1 in 68. This report was of kids born in 2002.

The pneumococcal vaccine was added to the routine schedule, but notably, these vaccines are all thimerosal free now!

By 2016, autism rates had increased again to 1 in 54.

The rotavirus vaccine was added to the immunization schedule and the only vaccines with thimerosal on the routine schedule are some flu vaccines, although thimerosal free flu vaccines are also available. The hepatitis A and flu vaccines also become recommended for all children now. One other change, Tdap joins the flu as a recommendation for all pregnant women, but vaccination rates are low, less than 25%.

And again, there were few changes to the immunization schedule.

Lastly, let’s look at autism rates in 2022. They increased to 1 in 31, in a report of kids born in 2014.

There were no changes to the immunization schedule for younger children and yet, autism rates still increased.

What else?

Well, if you still think that vaccines are associated with autism, which vaccine do you blame?

• the MMR, chickenpox, and rotavirus vaccines are live-attenuated vaccines

• the Hib vaccine is a polysaccharide conjugate vaccine

• the hepatitis B vaccine is a recombinant vaccine

• the hepatitis A and IPV vaccines are inactivated virus vaccine

• the pneumococcal vaccine is a conjugate vaccine

After all, the autism rates changed as very different types of vaccines were added to the schedule. And countries that don’t give these vaccines still have autism!

So what do you think?

Do you see enough changes to the immunization schedule to make autism rates jump from 1 in 2,500 to 1 in 31, especially after the removal of thimerosal and the drop in the antigen count?

Or do you understand that vaccines are not associated with autism, and the increased autism rates are due to changes in the DSM criteria, increased awareness, and more support.

The answer is clear.

Vaccines are not associated with autism!

More on Vaccines and Autism

• Vaccine Schedules from the 1940s to 2019

• Another Explanation for Rising Autism Rates

• Would Your Child Have Been Diagnosed With Autism When Peter McCullough Was a Kid?

• Three Reasons You Should Avoid Going to Anti-Vaccine Autism Conferences

• The Many Theories Behind Vaccine Injuries

• Data and Statistics on Autism Spectrum Disorder

• Vaccination Coverage among Young Children (0 – 35 Months)

• Vaccination Coverage of 2-Year-Old Children -- United States, 1992- 1993

• Influenza Vaccination Coverage Among Pregnant Women--United States, 2014-15 Influenza Season

• Vaccines Don’t Cause Autism, But That’s Not The Point. Stop Being Ableist.