Issue Number
239 April 24, 2001
CONTENTS OF THIS ISSUE
- IOM releases report on MMR and autism
- House schedules autism hearing for April 25-26
- IAC needs your help in updating its Directory of National
Immunization Resources
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(1)
April 24, 2001
IOM RELEASES REPORT ON MMR AND AUTISM
Institute of Medicine's Immunization Safety Review Committee released its report "Measles-Mumps-Rubella Vaccine and
Autism" on April 23, 2001, at the National Academy Sciences offices in Washington, DC. The committee, a
15-member body of health professionals with wide-ranging relevant expertise,
investigated the hypothesized link between MMR vaccine and autism. The report concluded:
"A consistent body of epidemiological evidence shows no association at a population level between MMR and autistic
spectrum disorders." Nor did the committee find any proven biological mechanisms that
would explain such a relationship.
The report states: "The committee does not recommend a policy review at this
time of the licensure of MMR vaccine or of the current schedule and recommendations for
administration of MMR vaccine."
The committee's findings echo those of other national and international medical groups, including the American Academy
of Pediatrics, the World Health Organization, and British health authorities.
In addition to these findings, the report calls for more targeted research efforts and rigorous data-collection
procedures to help give scientists a better understanding of MMR vaccine and any possible side effects, as well as
active communication of health information to the public by agencies such as
the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
For a copy of the report, visit: http://www.iom.edu/imsafety
For another summary of the report, visit the National Network for Immunization
Information's feature article at: http://www.immunizationinfo.org/features/index.cfm?ID=26
For more information on vaccines and autism, visit CDC's website at: http://www.cdc.gov/nip/vacsafe/concerns/autism/
and the Immunization Action Coalition's vaccine safety page at: http://www.immunize.org/genr.d/vaxsafe.htm
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April 24, 2001
HOUSE SCHEDULES AUTISM HEARING FOR APRIL 25-26
On April 25-26, 2001, the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Government Reform will convene a hearing
titled, "Autism--Why the Increased Rates? A One Year Update." This hearing is a follow-up to the hearing, "The
Challenges of Autism--Why the Increased Rates?" held by the Committee in April 2000. This hearing is expected to address
issues related to immunization and vaccines, including hypotheses related to MMR and autism, thimerosal
and autism, and vaccines that contain thimerosal as a preservative. Experts from the Institute of Medicine's Committee on
Immunization Safety, CDC, FDA, and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) are expected to testify.
Additional information on the hearing will eventually be posted on the Committee's website:
http://www.house.gov/reform/
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April 24, 2001
IAC NEEDS YOUR HELP IN UPDATING ITS "DIRECTORY OF NATIONAL IMMUNIZATION RESOURCES"
The Immunization Action Coalition (IAC) is updating its DIRECTORY OF NATIONAL IMMUNIZATION RESOURCES for
distribution at the upcoming National Immunization Conference, which will be held in Atlanta, May 29-June 1.
First published October 2000, this 50-page guide highlights the best immunization resources available from government,
professional organizations, nonprofit groups, and private industry. To keep the information
as current as possible, IAC is soliciting your help in collecting any updates,
corrections, or suggestions for additional listings.
To access the current online web text (HTML) version of the complete directory, go to: http://www.immunize.org/resources/contents.htm
To access the directory in a camera-ready (PDF) version, go to: http://www.immunize.org/resources/resource.pdf
WARNING: The PDF format of the entire publication is a very large file and
some printers are unable to print a file of this size. For some helpful tips on
downloading and printing PDF files, click here: http://www.immunize.org/nslt.d/tips.htm
To order a hard copy by mail, visit: http://www.immunize.org/resources/
To offer changes or additions, please call (651) 647-9009, fax (651) 647-9131, or email
admin@immunize.org
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