No. Large studies find no link.

Extensive research across different countries, vaccines, and study designs has repeatedly found no association between vaccination and autism, including studies of vaccine ingredients and schedules. The original claim came from a fraudulent, retracted study. Autism diagnoses are shaped by genetic factors, prenatal influences, and broader diagnostic criteria, and symptoms typically emerge at the same age as routine vaccinations, which explains why some parents perceive a connection. Public debate on the subject does not reflect any real scientific uncertainty.

• A Danish cohort study of about 650,000 children found no increased autism risk after MMR vaccination (Hviid et al., 2019).
• A 2014 meta-analysis covering over 1.2 million children found no link between vaccines and autism.
• The 1998 Wakefield paper that suggested a link was retracted in 2010, and Wakefield lost his medical license over ethical violations and data manipulation.
• Thimerosal was removed from nearly all childhood vaccines in the US around 2001, yet autism diagnoses continued to rise.
• Autism is strongly influenced by genetics and prenatal development, and signs often become apparent around the age when routine vaccines are given, which creates a coincidental timing.

The hypothesis that vaccines cause autism originated from a 1998 study that was subsequently revealed to be fraudulent, methodologically flawed, and financially conflicted, leading to its full retraction. In the decades since, numerous large-scale epidemiological studies examining millions of vaccinated and unvaccinated children across multiple countries have consistently found that autism rates do not differ between the groups. Autism spectrum disorders are understood to develop primarily through complex genetic and prenatal neurological factors rather than vaccination.

• Dozens of high-quality studies involving millions of children have found no association between vaccines and autism.
• The 1998 paper by Andrew Wakefield suggesting a link between the MMR vaccine and autism was fully retracted by The Lancet due to falsified data and ethical violations.
• Removal of thimerosal from childhood vaccines in the early 2000s did not result in a decrease in autism diagnoses.
• Global scientific consensus, supported by institutions like the World Health Organization and the National Academies of Sciences, confirms vaccines do not cause autism.

The vaccine–autism hypothesis originated in a single small, later-disproven 1998 study. Since then, dozens of large studies across multiple countries, multiple meta-analyses, and independent replication have consistently found no causal link. The scientific consensus is that vaccines do not cause autism, and the alleged mechanism (MMR or thimerosal) has been tested and ruled out.

• A 1998 Lancet paper by Andrew Wakefield linking MMR to autism was retracted in 2010; the UK General Medical Council found it fraudulent and he was struck off the medical register.
• A 2014 meta-analysis of 10 studies covering over 1.2 million children found no association between vaccination and autism.
• A large 2019 Danish cohort study of over 650,000 children found no increased autism risk in MMR-vaccinated children, including high-risk subgroups.
• Thimerosal, a mercury-containing preservative once in some vaccines, was removed from US childhood vaccines by 2001, yet autism diagnosis rates continued to rise.
• Autism has strongly heritable genetic roots; twin and family studies indicate genetics explains most of the risk.

The claim that vaccines cause autism originated from a fraudulent 1998 study by Andrew Wakefield, which was later retracted. Since then, numerous large-scale studies involving millions of children worldwide have consistently found no evidence of a link between vaccines and autism. Global health organizations, including the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), have repeatedly affirmed the safety of vaccines. The scientific consensus is clear: vaccines do not cause autism, and the evidence supporting this is overwhelming and settled.

• A 1998 study linking vaccines to autism was retracted for fraud and ethical violations.
• Over 100 studies involving millions of children have found no causal link between vaccines and autism.
• The World Health Organization, CDC, and other health agencies confirm vaccines are safe and do not cause autism.
• Autism rates have not declined in populations where vaccine use has decreased.
• The original study’s lead author, Andrew Wakefield, lost his medical license due to misconduct.