MMR Vaccine: Examining the Evidence In 1963, Nobel Peace Prize-winning virologist John F. Enders finally licensed his measles vaccine. Before this vaccine, there were 4 million cases of measles every year in the United States alone. With further scientific breakthroughs, the measles vaccine today has evolved to include immunity against rubella and mumps as well as protecting millions of people against the disease each year. However, the word vaccination is a matter of controversy in today's parenting world, and the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine may be considered perhaps the most controversial vaccine of our time. Controversial due to the fear many have that it causes autism along with other risks. This fear has clouded the judgment of thousands of worried parents who are making the decision whether or not to vaccinate their children with the MMR vaccine. These suspicions are not unreasonable, considering that parents have been exposed to a variety of conflicting opinions that have led to a sense of being misled about the safety of the vaccine. Various groups and individuals are responsible for this general feeling, but it is the responsibility of the scientific and medical community to ensure the safety of such an important vaccine not only for children but also for the general population. Parents should get their children vaccinated with the MMR vaccine to ensure protection against their children's diseases and also for the safety of the public. This decision can be made with confidence once parents are informed about the science and safety of the vaccine, rather than bad science being broadcast globally from non-credible sources. .....middle of paper......Brian. “Anti-vaccination movement sparks deadly year in US” Healthlines RSS News. Heathline, 3 December 2013. Web. 29 April 2014. “The Problem: Measles and Rubella Initiative.” Initiative against measles and rubella. Np, nd Web. May 14, 2014. Offit, P. A. and C. A. Moser. “The Problem with Dr. Bob's Alternative Vaccine Program.” Pediatrics 123.1 (2009): E164-169. Web.Paolo Bonanni, Demographic impact of vaccination: a review, Vaccine, Volume 17, Supplement 3, 29 October 1999, Pages S120-S125, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0264-410X(99)00306- 0. (http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0264410X99003060) Taylor, B., et al. Autism and measles, mumps and rubella vaccine: no epidemiological evidence for a causal association. 1999. Lancet 353:2026-2029."Vaccines, blood and biological products". Thimerosal in vaccines. US Food and Drug Administration, nd Web. 26 April. 2014.