Dr. Dinagul Bayesheva, a doctor of medical sciences and a top-category infectious disease specialist from Astana, has debunked one of the most common misconceptions about vaccination, reports Todayinfo, citing the Ministry of Health of Kazakhstan.
As the doctor notes, many parents link autism in children to vaccinations, believing that symptoms may appear after immunization.
«Science provides an unambiguous answer: vaccines do not cause autism. This has been confirmed by large-scale studies involving millions of children. Why does confusion arise? The first signs of autism often become noticeable at 1.5-2 years of age — precisely during the period of revaccination. But this is merely a coincidence in timing. It is important to understand: coincidence does not imply a causal link,» — explained Dinagul Bayesheva, head of the Department of Pediatric Infectious Diseases at Astana Medical University.
The doctor of medical sciences reminded that autism develops even before birth and is associated with peculiarities of brain development and genetic factors. Vaccines do not affect these processes — they protect the child from dangerous infections.
«Doctors daily encounter the severe consequences of measles, whooping cough, and other preventable diseases. And sometimes, help comes too late. Vaccination is protection, not a threat,» — emphasized the infectious disease specialist.
The misconception about the link between vaccination and autism arose after the publication of an article in The Lancet journal in 1998. It was later revealed that the data in it had been falsified, the article was retracted, and its author was stripped of his medical license.
The WHO (World Health Organization) has also previously stated that vaccines do not cause autism and save lives, and that such claims have no scientific basis.
Last September, a blogger from Almaty called for the killing of children with autism, claiming they lack feelings. The police initiated a criminal case and promised to take action.
