A new review of data from more than 20 million children shows that the MMR vaccine, which protects against measles, mumps, and rubella, is effective and not associated with autism.
Health authorities licensed the MMR vaccine for use in 1971 after tests showed that adverse reactions from the combined vaccine were no greater than any from the existing, single vaccines.
Governments have since rolled the vaccine out across the globe, leading to the eradication of measles in many countries, including the United States.
Despite this, the vaccine has been the subject of much controversy, in particular, due to a 1998 study linking the vaccine to autism.