Vaccine-Induced Viral Reactivation and Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Review, Hypothesis and Implications.

Abstract

Understanding the origins of autism spectrum disorder is imperative given its increasing prevalence and significant global impact. This narrative review examines existing research on the role of viral infections in the etiology of autism and scrutinizes emerging data on post-vaccination viral reactivation. It introduces a novel hypothesis, that vaccines may inadvertently reactivate latent viral infections, triggering the onset or exacerbation of autism. Through a comprehensive literature review across multiple databases and search engines, this review analyzed studies, case reports, and observational research focusing on viral infections, post-vaccination viral reactivation, and autism. This search yielded 12 studies implicating viral infections and viral encephalitis as potential causal factors in the development of autism spectrum disorder. Moreover, 16 studies were identified documenting viral reactivation following vaccination. This connection raises important questions about the role of vaccines in the onset of autism. The findings advocate for continued vigilance in vaccine safety research, particularly concerning neurodevelopmental disorders.