MMR Vaccine Story: One Mother's Review

Like almost all mothers of young children, I was nervous about my daughter receiving the notorious measles-mumps-rubella, or MMR, vaccine. It didn't matter how many studies I read about the safety of the vaccine; I still had a lingering fear that it could seriously harm her. I heard ongoing cries from mothers who were "certain" that the shot had caused autism, inflammatory bowel disease and other serious conditions in their children.

For this reason, despite my daughter's pediatrician's reassurances, I hesitantly chose to delay the MMR vaccine beyond the typical age of 12 to 18 months. At two, she showed some signs that she may have an autism spectrum disorder. I knew, because she hadn't yet received the shot, that it had played no role in her early ASD-like symptoms. But I was also relieved that I hadn't gotten the vaccine yet. If she had received the vaccine at the same time that these symptoms manifested, I would spend the rest of my life wondering if the MMR vaccine had caused her to have autism.

My daughter received excellent early intervention for her autism spectrum behaviors, including physical therapy, speech therapy and intensive home-education . I also worked with her extensively to mitigate her anxiety, social struggles, and communication problems. So, by her three-year checkup, I felt that I knew my daughter and her learning pattern well enough to accept the MMR vaccine, and to be able to identify its effects.

My daughter received the shot at precisely 2 years and 11 months of age, and it was a total breeze compared to any other vaccine she had received. Instead of crying, she simply yelped, "Ouch!" at the nurse who gave the injection. There was no swelling at the injection site and no persistent pain.

The MMR story I'd heard from other moms-- accurate or otherwise-- involved children who received the shot, developed immediate swelling, spiked a high fever, and "became autistic" by the next day. I had also heard of kids with pre-existing ASD symptoms very suddenly regressing in their language development or motor skills.

None of those things happened to my daughter, much to my relief. In fact, while most of her vaccines had made her tired, cranky and slightly fevered, the MMR vaccine didn't cause any of these side effects. She was actually far perkier, happier and more energetic than she is on most days. If she had a fever at all, it was too mild to cause her any discomfort.

As for autism symptoms, I have seen absolutely no change in my daughter's speech or language patterns after the vaccine. While she did have mild speech problems, which have regressed a few times during stressful days, she did not relapse into her old speech patterns at all after the MMR shot. She spoke clearly, meaningfully, and with good eye contact.

I do not believe that my daughter has autism, and I do not believe that the MMR vaccine could have, or would have, been responsible for any change in her behavior or health. Nevertheless, I am glad that I delayed the vaccine so that I could be reassured of what did, and did not, cause some of the symptoms she occasionally displays. To an even greater degree, I'm glad that I went through with getting vaccine that protects my child from disease with-- in our case-- no side effects whatsoever.