Honest question here as I have no dog in this fight.:
MMR vaccines have been common since the mid 70s. Is there any evidence of higher autism rates among these older populations? If not, what changed in the MMR formula to begin to cause autism - spectrum disorders?
1974 schedule:
2 months: DTP, TOPV (trivalent oral polio virus)
4 months: DTP, TOPV
6 months: DTP, TOPV
1 year: Measles, TB test
1-12 years: Rubella, Mumps
1 1/2 years: DTP, TOPV
4-6 years: DTP, TOPV
The schedule for 2014 is here:
http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/schedules/hcp/imz/child-adolescent.html
I counted at least 29 shots before the kid is 2 years old. The theory is that hitting young kids with this many shocks to their immune system (which is what vaccines do) is what does it, with the MMR being the straw that breaks the camels back so to speak.
WRONG.... MMR have been around since the 1960s...BUT your point is well taken and EXACTLY what the pseudoscientific wonders cannot answer.
Many want to blame thimerosol as the culprit.....unfortunately for them that compound was routinely used in all vaccine since the 1930s and of course it was put on every scratch and cut of every kid growing up and having merthiolate put on a boo boo.
When you want people to believe stupidity you just have to yell louder ;)