An Institute of Medicine committee has found convincing evidence that some common vaccines – varicella zoster; measles, mumps and rubella (MMR); influenza, hepatitis B, meningococcal and tetanus – may in rare cases cause 14 adverse health effects, according to an influential report released Thursday. However, the 667-page report said the 16-member committee found no or insufficient evidence to link the MMR vaccine with autism or type I diabetes, nor did it connect the tetanus vaccine with type I diabetes, or the inactivated influenza vaccine with Bell’s palsy or exacerbation of asthma or reactive airway disease. The committee reviewed more than 1,000 research articles to draw its conclusions.
