▁non - v acc ine - related ▁in fe ctions , ▁and ▁aut ism ▁is ▁not ▁an ▁imm une - medi ated ▁disease , ▁so ▁claims ▁that ▁v acc ines ▁could ▁cause ▁it ▁by ▁over loading ▁the ▁imm une ▁system ▁go ▁against ▁current ▁knowledge ▁of ▁the ▁path ogen esis ▁of ▁aut ism . ▁As ▁such , ▁the ▁idea ▁that ▁v acc ines ▁cause ▁aut ism ▁has ▁been ▁effectively ▁dismiss ed ▁by ▁the ▁weight ▁of ▁current ▁evidence . ▁ ▁P ren atal ▁in fection ▁There ▁is ▁evidence ▁that ▁sch iz op hren ia ▁is ▁associated ▁with ▁pr en atal ▁expos ure ▁to ▁rub ella , ▁influen za , ▁and ▁to x op las mos is ▁in fection . ▁For ▁example , ▁one ▁study ▁found ▁a ▁seven fold ▁increased ▁risk ▁of ▁sch iz op hren ia ▁when ▁moth ers ▁were ▁exposed ▁to ▁influen za ▁in ▁the ▁first ▁trim ester ▁of ▁gest ation . ▁This ▁may ▁have ▁public ▁health ▁imp lications , ▁as ▁strateg ies ▁for ▁prevent ing ▁in fection ▁include ▁v acc ination , ▁simple ▁h yg iene , ▁and , ▁in ▁the ▁case ▁of ▁to x op las mos is , ▁ant ib iot ics . ▁Based ▁on ▁studies ▁in ▁animal ▁models , ▁theoretical ▁concerns ▁have ▁been ▁raised ▁about ▁a ▁possible ▁link ▁between ▁sch iz op hren ia ▁and ▁mat ernal ▁imm une ▁response ▁activ ated ▁by ▁virus ▁ant ig ens ; ▁a ▁ 2 0 0 9 ▁review ▁concluded ▁that ▁there ▁was ▁ins u fficient ▁evidence ▁to ▁recommend ▁routine ▁use ▁of ▁tri val