Recent studies (all CDC funded) do not show a link between vaccines and Autism. These studies happened as damage control after some third party research said there might be a link, CDC had to reassure parents that there is no link.
But I'm curios if there was a strong link what would the government do? Discontinue vaccinations and face a surge in vaccine preventable diseases or somehow keep it quite and fund a dozen studies showing there is no link. Seems obvious what they would have to do, Autism is far less prevalent than vaccine preventable diseases.
I'm not much for these types of government conspiracy theories. However, your question is intriguing. It would make for a good science fiction movie or book plot. Another question to consider is, what if the public knew for certain that there was a connection between vaccinations and autism? Would parents risk their childrens' health for the sake of the very rare chance they might develop autism from inoculations?
One way for science to narrow down the causes of autism would be to study the incidence of signs of it in infants who have yet to receive all the vaccinations. Unfortunately, vaccinations commence shortly after birth. The recommended first DTaP shot is at 2 months of age. Another way is to research other possible contributors to the condition, such as the additives in the food we eat.
Signs that your baby may have autism1. No social smiling. ...
2. Lack of eye contact. ...
3. Not responding to their name. ...
4. No social anticipation or Peek-A-Boo. ...
5. Poor visual tracking. ...
6. Lack of social babbling. ...
7. Fixation on unusual objects.
Fluoridated water has been a concern too. Too much fluoride over a long time period may cause skeletal fluorosis. But, how much is too much? If it is in our drinking water as well as the toothpaste and mouthwashes we use and you add fluoride treatments at the dentist, how do you know you're not overdoing it and therefore running the risk of bad side effects. In areas of naturally occurring fluoride in the ground water, such as it is in parts of Asia, skeletal fluorosis is more common.