Scientists found that there is no link between the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine, also known as MMR vaccine, and autism. The researchers at the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health’s Center for Infection and Immunity, who collaborated with scientists from the Massachusetts General Hospital, Trinity College Dublin, and the U.S. CDC replicated key parts of the original study led by British physician Andrew Wakefield to determine if the vaccine causes autism.

Scientists searched for genetic material linked to the virus in intestinal tissue taken from the first group of children (25 children with autism but without intestinal problems) and compared them to samples taken from the second group diagnosed with intestinal problems, but without autism.

"We found no evidence that the [gastrointestinal] pathology consistently preceded autism, and we also found that the MMR didn’t consistently precede either autism or GI pathology," researchers concluded.

"We find no evidence to support a link between a measles vaccine, intestinal difficulties and autism," said Dr. Mady Hornig, associate professor of epidemiology and director of Translational Research, at Columbia’s Mailman School of Public Health Center for Infection and Immunity.

The good thing is that the findings might ease some parents’ concern that the MMR vaccine could be related autism.

The Autism Society of America cautioned that the cause of autism was complex and more research was needed to fully understand the role of the vaccine.

Measles, also called rubeola, is a highly contagious respiratory infection that is caused by a virus. The first symptoms of the infection are usually a hacking cough, runny nose, high fever, and watery red eyes.

Due to widespread immunizations, the number of U.S. measles cases has steadily declined in the last 50 years. The measles vaccine is part of the measles-mumps-rubella immunizations (MMR) given at 12 to 15 months of age and again at 4 to 6 years of age.