Study: Younger Siblings of Children with Autism Are Less Likely to Be Fully Vaccinated

​Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and their younger siblings are at increased risk for vaccine-preventable diseases, according to a March 26, 2018, study in JAMA Pediatrics. The authors conducted a matched cohort study of 3,729 children with ASD; 592,907 children without ASD; and their respective younger siblings. The participating children with ASD were born between January 1, 1995, and September 30, 2010. Their younger siblings were born between January 1, 1997, and September 30, 2014. For vaccines recommended between the ages of four and six years, children with ASD were significantly less likely to be fully vaccinated than were children without ASD.