There are also much higher levels of Type 1 diabetes than a few years ago (which I and my sons are very, very familiar with). There are also much higher levels of various other auto-immune diseases. Vaccinations have been blamed for those too.
I doubt it. Modern medicine is allowing many more people to survive and pass on their genes (both strengths and weaknesses) than was possible in the past. Is it really any surprise that more and more recessive genes (which would have died out in the past) are getting together and causing problems today.
Back in the 1930's a person with Type 1 diabetes would be dead within a few months. There has been 2 ot 3 generations of people who have that problem and who have lived to breed since then.
http://www.med.umich.edu/pediatrics/ebm/cats/autism.htm
University of Michigan declares that "MMR Vaccination Does Not Cause Autism" based on this evidence:
Summary of Key Evidence
498 children with autistic spectrum disorders were identified in the NE Thames region of England. Immunization information from a computerized data base were obtained on these children.
*In a Poisson regression analysis, no step up in the incidence of autism were noted for those born after the initiation of the MMR vaccine in 1988.
*The age at diagnosis of autism was compared for those immunized, unimmunized, and with late vaccination. No change in the age of diagnosis was detected.
*Using the case series model derived by Farrington, no temporal association was found in the diagnosis of autism and the MMR vaccine.
*The case series model is applicable when the overall incidence of disease is low.
The cleverness of the human mind continues to astound me.