evidence: We don’t yet know what causes autism, but a new study found the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine does not. The MMR vaccine also doesn’t trigger autism in a group of at-risk kids. No Linkage Between MMR Vaccine and Autism A 1998 paper in The Lancet claimed the MMR vaccine caused autism, but that study has since been debunked. In the decades since, there have been no follow-up studies that link vaccines to autism. In fact, studies have consistently shown vaccines do not increase the risk of autism.