Autism and vaccines.

last updated 8 January 2015

Washington, D.C.

In a closely watched case, an Arizona mother this week told a special federal court that her 12-year-old daughter’s severe autism was caused by a common childhood vaccine. Theresa Cedillo said her daughter Michelle had been a normal 15-month-old until she was administered a vaccination for measles, mumps, and rubella. Cedillo blames the mercury that was an ingredient in the vaccine. Thousands of parents have made similar claims, though no major study has linked the vaccinations to autism. Should Cedillo and other plaintiffs convince the tribunal of such an association, they would be eligible for compensation under a federal vaccine injury fund. “You’ll find their hypotheses untested,” government lawyer Vincent Matanoski told the tribunal, “or, when tested, have been found false.”