The next vaccine-autism question: Are school-aged youth with autism spectrum disorder undervaccinated and, if so, why?

Over the past two decades, the words 'autism' and 'vaccination' have often been linked and mired in controversy. In this commentary, we raise a different question about autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and vaccines: Are school-aged youth with ASD undervaccinated and, if so, why? There are several reasons why youth with ASD might be undervaccinated, including: belief in a vaccine-ASD link, challenges faced by youth with ASD when seeking health care and vaccine hesitancy factors that affect the general population. Possible undervaccination in this group is concerning given the prevalence of ASD and the key role of vaccinations in preventing infectious diseases. More research is needed to establish definitively whether youth with ASD are undervaccinated and to understand facilitators and barriers to vaccination for this population. This would help public health officials to develop and implement targeted policy and practice changes to increase vaccination uptake in youth with ASD, thereby increasing immunization equity.