How Credible is the Controversial Claim that Vaccines Cause Autism? (Essay Sample)

How credible is the controversial claim that vaccines cause autism?
Autism spectrum disorder, more frequently known as ASD, is a developmental and neurological condition that changes how kids learn, behave, interact with others, and engage socially. Autism spectrum disorder is more commonly referred to as ASD. Even though an autism diagnosis can be made at any age, the condition is nonetheless categorized as a "developmental disorder." This is due to the fact that symptoms of autism often manifest themselves during a person's first two years of life.
Wakefield and 11 other researchers published a series of case reports in The Lancet in 1998 (Wakefield et al. 638). Researchers in this study claimed to have discovered measles virus in the gastrointestinal tracts of many of the 12 children with autism who had been evaluated after getting the MMR vaccination. 
Extensive research was conducted over the subsequent twelve years to investigate the potential of a connection between the MMR vaccine and autism. No other credible or relevant study has found the same results as Wakefield's. In contrast, a large