For the past decade, parents in our community have been clamoring for a relatively simple scientific study that could settle the debate over the possible role of vaccines in the autism epidemic once and for all: compare children who have been vaccinated with children who have never received any vaccines and see if the rate of autism is different or the same.

Few people are aware that this extremely important work has not only begun, but that a study using an animal model has already been completed exploring this topic in great detail.

Dr. Wakefield is the co-author, along with eight other distinguished scientists from institutions like the University of Pittsburgh, the University of Kentucky, and the University of Washington, of a set of studies that explore the topic of vaccinated versus unvaccinated neurological outcomes using monkeys.

The first phase of this monkey study was published three months ago in the prestigious medical journal Neurotoxicology, and focused on the first two weeks of life when the vaccinated monkeys received a single vaccine for Hepatitis B, mimicking the U.S. vaccine schedule. The results, which you can read for yourself here (http://fourteenstudies.org/pdf/prim...), were disturbing. Vaccinated monkeys, unlike their unvaccinated peers, suffered the loss of many reflexes that are critical for survival.

Andrew Wakefield, Scientific Censorship, and Fourteen Monkeys; A statement by Jenny McCarthy and Jim Carrey

Can anyone cite a study comparing children who have been vaccinated against those who have not been vaccinated and their rates of autism?

Why is that do you think?

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/465861_2

The above link outlines such studies. Rhonda the increased incidence of autism is very alarming and the sooner the money being wasted on trying to link the MMR with autism is funneled into research into other potential causes the better. The MMR has been ruled out due to solid scientific investigation.

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"Gods are fragile things; they may be killed by a whiff of science or a dose of common sense." - Chapman Cohen.

I took a look at one of the studies cited in the above article and it is not conclusive (even though it's worded to sound like it is):

Autism and measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine: no epidemiological evidence for a causal association
Autism and measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine: no epidemiological evidence for a causal association : The Lancet

First of all they only examined a group of autistic children from 1979 (before the vaccine was introduced) and another group of autistic children from after 1988 (when the MMR was introduced) - to look at evidence of a change in trend in incidence or age at diagnosis associated with the introduction of MMR vaccination.

"They then compared the age at diagnosis of autism in vaccinated children with that in unvaccinated children older than 18 months. Based on a detailed analysis, the authors concluded that the results did not support a causal association between MMR vaccination and autism. The number of cases of autism identified in children aged 0-59 months steadily increased over time from about 2-3 cases for the 1979 birth cohort to about 100 in the 1992 cohort. The age distribution was not provided, and estimates of incidence or prevalence were not calculated."

They did not conduct a study of a current sample of children who had been vaccinated against those who had not been vaccinated to compare their autism rates.

Anyone reading this study with critical thinking skills can see it's bogus.

Wakefield's main offence was not telling the medical establishment what they wanted to hear and potentially undermining the profitability of the Pharmaceutical Industry. When you look at it that way, everything becomes clear!

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Are you for real?
The above mentioned McCarthy is an ex pornstar who has apparently starred in a movie where she ate her own vomit.
If this is your source for information it is truly pathetic!
One of the fourteen monkeys would have more credibility.

waiting ...

Can anyone cite a study comparing children who have been vaccinated against those who have not been vaccinated and their rates of autism?

Would you care to comment on the procedures that Wakefield carried out on innocent children?

Nothing you have said demonstrates the study is bogus and whether you admit it or not it is perfectly valid to compare pre and post vaccination. Similar studies have been documented in Sweden, Denmark, Japan and Canada and before you say it because I know it is a myth the anti vaccine crowd hang onto - the Amish.
MMR vaccine controversy - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The anti vaccine lobby has cost lives including three children here in ireland in a measle outbreak in 2000 directly attributable to severe drop in vaccinations due to the controversy. Whatever excuse there was for such an occurrence when a question mark existed there is none now that there has been study after study around the world proving no causal relationship.

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"Gods are fragile things; they may be killed by a whiff of science or a dose of common sense." - Chapman Cohen.

you do not understand what constitutes a comprehensive study - they only examined children with autism - children with autism from 1979 (not vaccinated with MMR) and then children with autism post 1988 (both those who were vaccinated with MMR and not) - bogus!

What's your point? It's autism associated with mmr we are discussing. The numbers did not suddenly jump on introduction of the mmr. The same is true of Japan. When Japan discontinued the mmr the rates continued to rise as they have elsewhere. There was no drop as would be expected if mmr was the cause.

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"Gods are fragile things; they may be killed by a whiff of science or a dose of common sense." - Chapman Cohen.