The Connection between Vaccine and Autism - Literature review Example

The Connection between Vaccine and Autism PART 1 In our unit 1 discussion, you discussed two articles. For this project, you will identify several types of research articles related to a specific topic in your area of study within the School of Health Science (your degree program). You may use some of the articles from the discussion that we expanded and used in our unit 3 discussion or you may identify additional articles. All articles for this paper must be on the same topic and you must use the matrix for part I of this paper. Remember the focus is the context of scientific research. Long after Dr. Wakefield’s controversial study about the connection between the MMR vaccine and incidence of autism had been proven to be fraudulent, undeniably, a significant percentage of parents are still apprehensive about the safety of these vaccines. Even up to the present, the medical community is as divided as the parents on the issue of vaccine safety and its link to autism. For this particular exercise, I shall be doing an analysis of different articles that rejects the link between vaccines and autism. The papers shall be compared and differentiated using the matrix provided below. Review Item Type of Article Peer Reviewed journal Print Media Newspaper or Magazine Visual Media (like YouTube) Web Article APA reference Honda, H., Shimizu, Y., & Rutter, M. (2005). No effect of MMR withdrawal on the incidence of autism: a total population study. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 46 (6), pages 572–579. Retrieved from http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1469-7610.2005.01425.x/full Park, A. (2011, January 6). Study Linking Vaccines to Autism Is "Fraudulent". Time. Retrieved from http://healthland.time.com/2011/01/06/study-linking-vaccines-to-autism-is-fraudulent/ Autistic spectrum disorder: No causal relationship with vaccines. Canadian Paediatric Society (CPS), Paediatrics & Child Health 2007; 12(5): 393-395. Retrieved from http://cps.ca/english/statements/ID/pidnote_jun07.htm Research Problem in the article Does a ban on MMR vaccine result in zero incidence of autism? Is Wakefield’s study on the link between vaccination and autism true and credible? Is there a causal relationship between administration of vaccines and incidence of autism? Problem statement clear? [indicate yes or no] Yes Yes Yes Research Hypothesis from the article A ban on MMR does not result in zero incidence of autism. Wakefield’s study linking the MMR vaccine to autism is a fraud. No There is no causal relationship between the administration of vaccine and the incidence of autism. Hypothesis clear? [Indicate yes or no] Yes Yes Specific evidence presented related to the hypothesis The researchers conducted the study in Japan which implemented a total ban on the MMR vaccine. They then presented statistical data showing that even within the age group that were not vaccinated with MMR, there still exists notable cases of autism. The magazine presented as evidence the declaration of the editors of the British Medical Journal (BMJ) which declared Wakefield’s study as “an elaborate fraud”  The paper invoked several studies showing that despite the decline in MMR and THIMEROSAL-CONTAINING VACCINES, the incidence of autism continues to increase overtime. Evidence clear? [Indicate yes or no] Yes. Yes. Yes Conclusions reached in the article MMR vaccines are not direct causes of autism. A ban on MMR does not result in zero incidence of autism. Wakefield’s study blaming MMR vaccines as the cause of autism was fraudulent. There exists no causal relationship between vaccines and autism. Conclusions clear? [indicate yes or no] Yes Yes Yes Specific Trends identified in the article* Wakefield’s controversial study indeed started the trend of confusion among parents regarding the relationship between vaccines and autism. Even with the existence of overwhelming evidence that it is not true, parents are still burdened by that cloud of doubt because groups espousing Wakefield’s theory still thrive and exist. Perhaps, only when the real cause of autism has been finally pinned down shall these confusions and apprehensions against vaccines be appeased. When the British Medical Journal denounced Wakefield’s study, more medical practitioners and experts in the field followed suit. When Wakefield published his study, notable researchers and practitioners around the world conducted their own researches to either corroborate or contradict the controversial claim of link between vaccines and autism. Specific Issues suggested by the article** The researchers posited that there is that slight possibility that “MMR might involve an increased risk of ASD in a very small number of children who, for some reason, are unusually susceptible to damage from the vaccine.” They then ended by challenging those who subscribe to such hypothesis to prove their case. After almost a decade of believing that vaccination does more harm that good, it may take a while to convince the parents to have their children vaccinated now that it has been proven that vaccination is not linked in any way to autism. *Trends are events or attitudes that may change over time. For example, opinions about cause, prevention, or treatment/interventions can change over time. Prevalence rates may change **Issues are impediments to change or implementing solutions. Examples are cost, resistance to change, misunderstandings about the issues or topic PART 2 In 1-2 pages using APA formatted citations, briefly discuss the questions below. Each answer should be 1-2 paragraphs. Discuss your reasons for your opinions and conclusions in some detail. 1. Do the various sources agree/disagree on issues and trends? The various sources definitely do agree with the issues and trends. All three papers were one in declaring that there exists no direct link between vaccination and autism. Likewise, they all express awareness on the apprehensions felt by parents against vaccination and more particularly on the MMR vaccine which stands for or Measles, Mumps, and Rubella. Interestingly, one of the TIME article’s resources also made note of the observation made by Honda, et. al., when it declared, “that more research is needed to fully investigate whether some children may be genetically predisposed to developing autism symptoms following vaccination, for whatever reason” (Park, 2011). Apparently, all three papers are realistic enough to acknowledge that it would take more than just a declaration the there is no direct link between vaccination and autism in order to quell the parent’s fears. Aside from time, the only thing that could finally lay this issue to rest is when the main and true culprit behind the prevalence of autism nowadays is identified, pinned down and eliminated. 2. What sources do you find credible? Explain your answer in detail.  I especially find the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and the book Autism and Asperger Syndrome (Frith, 1991) credible. Uta Frith is regarded by many as one of the best developmental psychologists in the UK. She’s associated with University College London’s Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience. She’s also considered an authority on the subject of autism. On the other hand, Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 is the foremost law in the US regarding disabilities such as autism and is concerned with any type of discrimination which is based on a person’s disability. However, among the three articles I have analyzed above, I find the one published in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry as the most credible. Aside from their in-depth research and analysis, they also presented their statistical data for the scrutiny of the readers. 3. What criteria you believe are appropriate for evaluating sources that can be used in the background section of a review of a scientific research process?  There are a few important criteria which help me in evaluating the sources which are to be used. The first stage for a successful evaluation of sources is pre evaluation or screening of the information. At this point, I need to be perfectly clear what exact information I am searching for. Information can range from statistics, reasoned arguments and eyewitness reports to descriptions and narratives. Once decided, the information can be screened successfully. I shall then subject them to testing against the goals of my research and select only the reliable sources. Only the sources which are objective, credible and authoritative should be selected. I determine the reliability of my source by dissecting the author’s credentials as well as the track record of the study’s sponsors and benefactors. Finally, I need to verify that the material I am going to use is updated and have not yet been debunked or rendered irrelevant by a more recent study. Corroborative information from other sources and media would be an added boost to the credibility of my chosen research material. Finally, in order to come up with a credible paper, I need to be objective and fair as well while collating data from these sources. 4. Does your review demonstrate the importance of using peer- reviewed articles? Explain your answer. Be sure to explain peer review as it is used in peer reviewed journals. The process of peer review ensures that journals only publish articles that live up to the standards set by the academe or scholarly field. “When an article is submitted to a peer reviewed journal, the editors send it out to other scholars in the same field (the author's peers) to get their opinion on the quality of the scholarship, its relevance to the field, its appropriateness for the journal, etc.” (Peer Reviewed Journals) Reference List: Autistic spectrum disorder: No causal relationship with vaccines. Canadian Paediatric Society (CPS), Paediatrics & Child Health 2007; 12(5): 393-395. Retrieved from http://cps.ca/english/statements/ID/pidnote_jun07.htm Frith, U. (1991). Autism and Asperger's Syndrome. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.  Honda, H., Shimizu, Y., & Rutter, M. (2005). No effect of MMR withdrawal on the incidence of autism: a total population study. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 46 (6), pages 572–579. Retrieved from http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1469-7610.2005.01425.x/full Park, A. (2011, January 6). Study Linking Vaccines to Autism Is "Fraudulent". Time. Retrieved from http://healthland.time.com/2011/01/06/study-linking-vaccines-to-autism-is-fraudulent/ Peer Reviewed Journals. University of Texas at Austin. Retrieved from http://www.lib.utexas.edu/lsl/help/modules/peer.html Read More