A nationwide survey finds that 1 in 3 parents still believe that vaccines can cause autism, a notion that is widely discredited by the scientific community. (Shutterstock)

A new survey finds that 1 in 3 parents continue to believe that vaccines can cause autism despite the link being widely discredited by the scientific community.

In a poll of 1,756 adults across the country, 29 percent agreed that immunizations can lead to the developmental disorder. Among those with children under the age of 18, that number rose to 33 percent.

The findings released this month come from a survey conducted for the National Consumers League, a consumer advocacy group, by Harris Poll.

Half of parents said they were aware of a study that linked vaccines and autism, but only 50 percent of those moms and dads knew that the study has since been retracted.

The majority of Americans queried said they respect the decision of parents to choose whether or not to vaccinate their children, though most also support mandatory vaccination policies for school-age children.

Concerns about vaccination rates are running high, with a recent outbreak of mumps in Ohio and a rise in measles cases in California and New York.

Late last month, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that 1 in 68 American children have autism, an increase of 30 percent over figures reported just two years ago. It remains unclear what factors are contributing to an uptick in the number of kids affected.

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