In The Politics of Autism, I analyze the myth that vaccines cause autism. This bogus idea can hurt people by allowing diseases to spread. Examples include measles, COVID, flu, and polio.
Gulati, S., Sharawat, I. K., Panda, P. K., & Kothare, S. V. (2025). The vaccine–autism connection: No link, still debate, and we are failing to learn the lessons. Autism, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/13623613251345281
In the post-COVID-19 era, vaccine hesitancy remains a critical challenge, despite clear evidence of the life-saving benefits of childhood vaccinations, which prevent morbidity and mortality while reducing healthcare costs (Andre et al., 2008; Ozawa et al., 2016). Hesitancy is particularly prevalent among caregivers of autistic children, contributing to delayed or incomplete vaccination in this group. Studies show that autistic children are less likely to be fully vaccinated compared to their non-autistic peers, and this hesitancy extends to younger siblings (Cummings et al., 2016; Filliter et al., 2017; Gerber & Offit, 2009; Mitchell & Locke, 2015; Pluviano et al., 2019; Zerbo et al., 2018). The persistent belief in the now-debunked link between vaccines, especially the MMR vaccine, and autism continues to drive hesitancy. Despite the extensive scientific refutation of this claim, caregivers of children with autism diagnoses often hold disproportionate fears that vaccines cause or worsen autism, even when they are aware of the lack of evidence (Cummings et al., 2016; Gerber & Offit, 2009; Pluviano et al., 2019). Post-pandemic, new factors have emerged, including heightened concerns related to sensory sensitivities, phobias, and logistical barriers in medical settings, all of which complicate vaccine uptake. While some studies suggest a declining belief in the vaccine–autism link among the general population (Filliter et al., 2017; Mitchell & Locke, 2015), it remains uncertain whether these shifts apply to caregivers of autistic children.
