Stigma behind autism-vaccine link beginning to fade out

Recently, news emerged that found that the study originally linking vaccinations to autism was inaccurate. For years, parents avoided vaccinating their children in fear of increasing their chances of developing the condition. However, more Americans appear to have changed their attitude since the study was invalidated.

Approximately 52 percent of Americans now say they believe that there is no link between autism and vaccinations, according to Health Day News. However, the same Health Day/Harris Interactive poll that found these results discovered that 18 percent of individuals still think that shots for conditions, such as the measles, are dangerous. Humphrey Taylor, chairman of the Harris Poll, told the news source that although 18 percent seems like a small number, it translates into millions of people.

The measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine was the shot primarily linked to autism in the 1998 study that steered parents away from giving their children the injection. Despite the fraudulent research, experts say that 92 percent of all kids have been fully vaccinated.

An average of 1 in 110 children in the U.S. have been diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Rehabilitation facilities may be able to help individuals manage symptoms of the condition over time.