Vaccination is one of the most effective and safest ways to
protect against many serious infectious diseases.
Dr Alison Cave, Chief Safety Officer at the MHRA,
said:
“Multiple large, well-conducted studies involving millions of
children worldwide have consistently demonstrated that there is
no evidence that vaccines cause autism in children.
“Vaccination remains one of the most effective and safest ways to
protect against serious and potentially life-threatening
diseases, supported by decades of scientific evidence in the UK
and internationally.
“The benefits of vaccination are endorsed by the NHS and all
major UK public health and paediatric bodies as part of the
recommended routine childhood vaccination schedule.
“All vaccines approved for use in the UK undergo a rigorous
assessment of their safety, quality and efficacy and once
approved for use, we continuously monitor their safety through
robust surveillance systems, real-world data, and international
evidence.
“We encourage parents to follow NHS
guidance on vaccination and speak to a healthcare
professional if they have any questions.
“Patient safety is our top priority. We encourage anyone to
report any suspected side effects to us via the MHRA Yellow Card
scheme.”
Notes to Editors:
-
Childhood vaccination is recommended by the NHS, the World
Health Organization, and public health authorities
globally as the most effective way to protect children from
serious infectious diseases.
-
Before approval, all vaccines undergo robust independent
assessment by the MHRA to ensure they meet strict standards
of safety, quality, and efficacy.
-
The UK childhood vaccination schedule is informed by
evidence-based recommendations from the Joint Committee on
Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) and supported by NHS
clinical guidance.
-
Multiple large, well-conducted international studies,
including national registry studies and sibling-controlled
studies, have found no evidence that vaccines cause autism in
children.
-
A major meta-analysis of data from over 1.26 million children
in cohort studies and nearly 10,000 children in case-control
studies found no association between vaccination and autism
and autism spectrum disorder (Taylor, et al.,
Vaccine (2014)
-
The MHRA conducts continuous safety surveillance through the
Yellow Card scheme, analysis of large healthcare datasets,
review of international safety data, and there is ongoing
review by independent scientific experts.
-
Should new evidence indicate a change in vaccine safety, the
MHRA will act promptly to update guidance and information for
healthcare professionals and the public.
-
Parents and carers should continue to follow NHS
vaccination guidance to protect children from preventable
diseases such as measles, meningitis, and whooping
cough.
