• "Before measles vaccine was licensed in the United States in 1963, there were approximately 500,000 cases and 500 deaths reported annually. However, the actual number of cases (including those not reported) was estimated at three to four million each year. Last year there were fewer than 100 cases of measles reported in the U.S.



• "Measles is a highly contagious viral infection. The illness is characterized by a rash, but the virus can also spread through the body causing pneumonia, diarrhea, or ear infections in up to 10% of people. In addition, it can cause an infection of the brain (encephalitis), which can cause permanent brain damage. Approximately 20% of people with measles will be hospitalized and for every 1,000 people who get measles, one to two will die.
  
  
• "A 1998 report in a British medical journal, The Lancet, raised the hypothesis that there may be a link between the MMR vaccine and autism. However, thorough review by England's Medical Research Council found no scientific evidence supporting this theory.



• "The causes of autism are not yet known. Most experts agree, however, that autism is a condition that begins before birth, not after. A child's genetics seem to play a major role in the development of autism. For example, when one identical twin has autism, the chances that the other twin will also have autism are extremely high.



• "Autism is usually diagnosed in children when they are 18 to 30 months old. This is a period in life shortly after children have received many of the recommended vaccinations. Because of this coincidence in timing, some parents of children with autism believe that an immunization may have caused their child's condition.



• "Many scientific studies have been conducted to evaluate whether MMR vaccine causes, or in any way contributes to, autism. The studies that have been conducted to date do not indicate that autism is caused by MMR.



• "In response to some parents' continued concerns, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is conducting another scientific study to further examine any possible association between autism and the MMR vaccine. Additionally, England's Medical Research Council is to fund one of the largest studies of autism ever attempted. The study, to be led by Professor Andy Hall of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, will attempt to find out what causes the condition.



• "Immunizations are one of the most important ways that parents can protect their children against serious infectious diseases."

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