Uptake of the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine plummeted in Britain after doctor and researcher Andrew Wakefield suggested in 1998 that it could be linked to autism — a suggestion that made huge waves in the media and with the public. Subsequent studies have ruled out a link between MMR and autism, and the majority of medical opinion now firmly rejects Wakefield's hypothesis. This week, Wakefield stands before a hearing at the General Medical Council (GMC) — the body that regulates doctors in the United Kingdom.

Once again, fears over the mumps measles and rubella (MMR) vaccine have been reignited. Just days before Dr Andrew Wakefield faces a GMC disciplinary hearing for his role in the original controversy, newspapers have re-awakened the alarm he first raised with headlines like “New fear over MMR link with rising autism”

Mothers of children with autism showed remarkable strengths in the parent–child relationship, social support, and stability of the household in the context of high stress and poorer mental health.