A couple months ago I did an essay on Autism for a general psychology class, and while researching the causes of Autism, I decided to look into the claim that the MMR vaccine causes Autism. I was appalled to find how Andrew Wakefield, one of the leading advocates of this claim, had relied on completely bogus research to support his conclusion, and that childhood diseases have started to re-surge in some places due to parents not getting their kids vaccinated out of fear they would get Autism. It's also sad that celebrities like Oprah, Jim Carrey, and Jenny McCarthy have fallen for the anti-vax movement and are encouraging more parents to not vaccinate their kids.

-Links-

Center of Disease Control on the Autism-vaccine controversy

CDC on break outs of Measles because of children not being vaccinated. Also, this BBC article.

Brian Deer on how Wakefield's research is full of holes.

The Skeptic's Dictionary on Wakefield

History of anti-vaccination movements through the 19th and 20th centuries.