An influential study that suggested Autism is caused by vaccines is being called an elaborate fraud and now much of the world's medical community is coming down hard on the British doctor who did the study.
Good Question: Do vaccines really cause Autism?
In 1998 a groundbreaking report linking Autism to the Mumps, Measles and Rubella vaccine shook the medical world.
Dr. Paul Glaser an Associate Professor and researcher at the University of Kentucky who studies Autism in children watched as it created fear among parents.
"The reports led to a lot of people being either suspicious of the vaccine or worried about that vaccines, some people took it as far as saying they would never get their child vaccinated with any vaccine," said Dr. Glaser.
The study, based on 12 children found that the MMR vaccine led to autistic behavior and gastrointestinal disorders.
Now the British Medical Journal accuses the reports author Dr. Andrew Wakefield of doctoring his findings.
"When they checked the data on the paper and compared it to the patients data in their charts there were a lot of discrepancies so the thought there was Dr. Wakefield has falsified the data," said Dr. Glaser.
The Wakefield report has been retracted, some of its authors have backed away from the research and last year Dr. Wakefield had his medical license revoked.
As someone who works everyday to help those with Autism, Dr. Glaser says he's angry thinking that some children may have missed out on vital vaccines for over a decade.
He says now its about moving forward.
"My hope is that this finding will reassure those people who were a little bit worried about vaccines, they they are safe it is one of the best things they can do for their children," said Dr. Glaser.
Right now one in 110 children in the US are diagnosed with Autism.
An estimated 1.5 million individuals in the U.S. and tens of millions worldwide are affected by autism
What causes Autism?
The simple answer is we don't know. The vast majority of cases of autism are idiopathic, which means the cause is unknown. The more complex answer is that just as there are different levels of severity and combinations of symptoms in autism, there are probably multiple causes.