Time Trends in Autism and in MMR Immunization Coverage in California

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Abstract
In the mid to late 1990s, a medical investigative group in Great Britain postulated that measles immunization and/or immunization with measles, mumps, and rubella vaccines given combined at the same time or in succession over a relatively short time period might be a cause of the developmental disorder autism.1 Strong interest in and debate over this hypothesis has occurred. In this connection, some cite a 1999 report from the California Department of Developmental Services2 showing an increase within the past 2 decades in its regional system caseload of children with autism, wondering if increasingly widespread combined measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) immunization of young children might have been responsible for this increase.3 Also, multiple news media stories and Internet Web site presentations on MMR vaccine and autism have cited these California autism data.4,5