Important: VAERS reports alone cannot determine if a vaccine caused an adverse event. Reports may contain incomplete, inaccurate, or unverified information. Correlation does not equal causation.
The MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine is one of the most widely studied vaccines in history. Given to virtually every child in the U.S., it generates a substantial number of VAERS reports — but context is essential for interpreting this data.
The following symptoms are most frequently reported after vaccination:
The claimed link between MMR and autism has been extensively studied and debunked. The original 1998 study was retracted and its author lost his medical license for fraud. Multiple large-scale studies involving millions of children have found no connection between MMR vaccination and autism.
VAERS does contain reports mentioning autism after MMR vaccination, but VAERS reports are unverified and cannot establish causation. The timing of MMR vaccination (12-15 months) coincides with when autism symptoms typically become noticeable, creating a temporal correlation that is not causal.
Common (usually mild, resolve in days):
Rare but serious: