Principal Controversies in Vaccine Safety in the United States
Open accessAbstract
Concerns about vaccine safety can lead to decreased acceptance of vaccines and resurgence of vaccine-preventable diseases. We summarize the key evidence on some of the main current vaccine safety controversies in the United States, including (1) measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine and autism; (2) thimerosal, a mercury-based vaccine preservative and the risk of neurodevelopmental disorders; (3) vaccine-induced Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS); (4) vaccine-induced autoimmune diseases; (5) safety of human papillomavirus vaccine; (6) aluminum adjuvant-induced autoimmune diseases and other disorders; and (7) too many vaccines given early in life predisposing children to health and developmental problems. A possible small increased risk of GBS following influenza vaccination has been identified, but the magnitude of the increase is less than the risk of GBS following influenza infection. Otherwise, the biological and epidemiologic evidence does not support any of the reviewed vaccine safety concerns.
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Despite widespread misleading reporting about links between the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine and autism from the end of the 1990s, there is no evidence that any vaccines or their components cause autism.
“Despite widespread misleading reporting about links between the measles–mumps–rubella vaccine and autism from the end of the 1990s, there is no evidence that any vaccines or their components cause autism101,102.”
From A guide to vaccinology: from basic principles to new developments (2021) · cites this paper as [102]
The evidence now overwhelmingly shows that there is no increased risk of autism in vaccinated populations.
“Indeed, the evidence now overwhelmingly shows that there is no increased risk of autism in vaccinated populations.”
From A guide to vaccinology: from basic principles to new developments (2021) · cites this paper as [102]
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A guide to vaccinology: from basic principles to new developments
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- Authors
- DeStefano, F., Bodenstab, H. M., & Offit, P. A.
- Affiliations
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (US)
- Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (US)
- Corresponding author
- DeStefano, Frank
- Venue
- Clinical Infectious Diseases
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press (OUP)
- Published
- 2019-02-12
- Volume
- 69
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 726-731
- ISSN
- 1058-4838 (ISSN-L)
- 1537-6591
- OpenAlex
- W2912136724
- Cited by
- 86
- References
- 42
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2025: 7 · 2024: 8 · 2023: 9 · 2022: 16 · 2021: 18 · 2020: 13 · 2019: 12
- FWCI
- 10.95
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Licence
- public-domain
- Locations
- Clinical Infectious Diseases (publishedVersion, public-domain)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutics › Toxicology › Pharmacovigilance and Adverse Drug Reactions
- Social Sciences › Health › Vaccine Coverage and Hesitancy
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Emergency Medicine › Intramuscular injections and effects
- Keywords
- vaccine safety, MMR vaccine, autism spectrum disorder, thimerosal, neurodevelopmental disorders, Guillain-Barré syndrome, HPV vaccine, alum adjuvant, childhood immunization schedule, influenza vaccination, vaccine-preventable diseases
- MeSH terms
- Aluminum, Autistic Disorder, Autoimmune Diseases, Humans, Immunization Schedule, Retraction of Publication as Topic, Thimerosal, United States, Vaccination, Vaccines, Guillain-Barre Syndrome, Measles-Mumps-Rubella Vaccine
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