Jim Carrey apologises for using boy's image in vaccine tweet

Actor Jim Carrey has apologised after he sparked outrage by using a photo of an autistic boy to promote his claims vaccines contain harmful neurotoxins.

Ace Ventura star Carrey, 53, believes some vaccines cause autism as a result of these neurotoxins.

In a series of tweets about the issue, he used a photo of 14-year-old Alex Echols,who has a genetic syndrome called tuberous sclerosis.

Alex, from Oregon, USA, suffers from autism as a result, but his family said this has nothing to do with vaccines and were furious Carrey had used his image to suggest otherwise.

Alex’s mother, Karen Echols, tweeted the Dumb and Dumber actor asking him to remove the photo.

Carrey has now taken to Twitter to apologise to the boy's family, saying he "didn't mean to cause them distress."