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UC health economics research has found that publication ofperceived risk linking the MMR ( measles , mumps, rubella) vaccine to autism in the late 1990s seemingly led to declines in the vaccinationrate of children. This despite the fact that later studies refutedthe existence of an MMR-autism link. New University of Cincinnati research has found that fewer parentsin the United States vaccinated their children in the wake ofconcerns about a purported link (now widely discredited) betweenthe MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine and autism. Lenisa Chang, assistant professor of economics in UC's Carl H.Lindner College of Business, found that the MMR-autism controversy,which played out prominently in the popular media followingpublication in a 1998 medical journal, led to a decline of abouttwo percentage points in terms of parents obtaining the MMR vaccinefor their children in 1999 and 2000. And even after later studiesthoroughly refuted the alleged MMR-autism link, the drop off invaccination rates persisted. For her study, "The MMR-Autism Controversy: Did Autism ConcernsAffect Vaccine Take Up?" to be presented during the 4th BiennialConference of the American Society of Health Economics June 10-13in Minnesota, Chang examined data from the National ImmunizationSurvey from 1995 through 2006 to gauge parents' response toward thevaccine-autism controversy. Interestingly, in the aftermath of the controversy, Chang foundthat the higher a mother's education level, the less likely a childwas to receive an MMR vaccination. In other words, college-educatedmothers were less likely to have their children vaccinated thanwere non-college education mothers. This may be due to the factthat more educated mothers have better access and/or more quicklyabsorb medical information available in the media. After epidemiological studies refuted the MMR-autism link, thedifference in MMR usage by mother's education level persisted andbecame more pronounced in 2003, 2004 and 2006, possibly as previousnegative information received more weight than positive informationin the parental decision-making process on whether or not tovaccinate. She also found that the controversy, begun with the publication ofresearch (later discredited) linking the MMR vaccine to risks forautism in "The Lancet" medical journal, seemingly had a spillovereffect to other vaccines - such as polio or other measles-containing vaccines - likely as a result ofconcern for safety over the MMR controversy. Chang says the decline is a significant decrease and attributes thespillover effect to parental concerns. "The spillover effect I find on other vaccines such as polio and,to a lesser degree DTP ( diphtheria , tetanus and pertussis), could be partially ascribed to general safetyconcerns toward all vaccines that stemmed from the MMR controversy,but other factors might be at play as well," Chang says. In other related work, Chang is researching the effect onimmunization rates of state mandates that require insurancecompanies to cover childhood vaccines. Additional References Citations. I am an expert from aluminum-slidingdoors.com, while we provides the quality product, such as Revolving Shoe Rack Manufacturer , Louvered Closet Doors, Rotating Clothes Rack,and more.
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