An article in the British medical journal Lancet claimed that autism is caused by the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine. This vaccine is typically given to children twice, at about the age of 1 and
again at about 4 years of age. In the article 12 children with autism who had all received the vaccines shortly before developing autism were studied. The article was later retracted by Lancet because the
conclusions were not justified by the design of the study.
Can you conclude that the MMR vaccine caused Autism from this study? Explain why Lancet might have felt that the conclusions (MMR causes autism) were not justified by listing potential flaws in
the study, as described before.
Choose the correct answer below.
No. There is no control group and no comparison. From an observation of 12 children it is not possible to come to a conclusion that the vaccine causes autism. It may simply be that autism is
usually noticed at the same age the vaccine is given.
Yes. There are two control groups and a comparison. From an observation of 12 children it is not possible to come to a conclusion that the vaccine causes autism. It may simply be that autism is
usually noticed at the same age the vaccine is given.
No. There is no control group and no comparison. 12 observations from the 12 children is too many observations to come to a conclusion that the vaccine causes autism. It may simply be that
autisim is usually noticed at the same age the vaccine is given.
Yes. There is a control group and a comparison. From an observation of 12 children it is not possible to come to a conclusion that the vaccine causes autism. It may simply be that autism is usually
noticed at the same age the vaccine is given.