Democratic State Senator John Milkovich commented during the Louisiana legislative session that he believes the myth that vaccines cause autism.
“When Senator Lambert and I were growing up autism did not exist,” Milkovich said. “Many of you may know, some of the leading researchers in America say that autism is a result of vaccination.”
Milkovich made his comments while debating a bill that would allow adults to opt-in to a statewide immunization database. He also stated that “tissue from aborted babies is now used in vaccines.”
However, Milkovich’s claims are exactly the opposite of what most researchers believe. In fact, a 2013 study conducted by the CDC showed conclusively that vaccines do not cause autism spectrum disorder. Neither does the commonly-blamed ingredient thimerosal; since 2003 the CDC has funded or conducted a total of nine different studies, all of which found no link between thimerosal-containing vaccines and autism.
Scientists haven’t yet discovered what exactly causes autism. However, most of the current scientific research revolves around genetic and biological causes such as gene mutations and immune system problems.
Senator Milkovich’s comments are ones that are often repeated by those in the anti-vax movement, which has resulted in the current measles outbreak sweeping across the nation. Officials have said the current outbreak, which began in December 2018, is the worst the country has seen in 25 years.
Jenn Bentley is a writer and editor originally from Cadiz, Kentucky. Her writing has been featured in publications such as The Examiner, The High Tech Society, FansShare, Yahoo News, and others. When she’s not writing or editing, Jenn spends her time raising money for Extra Life and advocating for autism awareness.
