On its "Autism and Vaccines" webpage, the CDC now states, "The claim 'vaccines do not cause autism' is not an evidence-based claim because studies have not ruled out the possibility that infant vaccines cause autism," further claiming that studies supporting this link have been "ignored by health authorities."
This change aligns the agency closely with the views of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. who has long promoted vaccine skepticism and for decades has supported the debunked theory that they could be linked to autism spectrum disorder.
Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), who was the deciding vote in confirming Kennedy's nomination, pushed back on the update without naming anyone.
"It's deeply troubling that, according to HHS officials, they appeared to have canceled hundreds of millions in research on autism genetics. Redirecting attention to factors we definitely know DO NOT cause autism denies families the answers they deserve," Cassidy wrote on social media.
Major medical organizations summarily rejected this update.
"As public health professionals, we unequivocally support the use of vaccines to prevent infectious diseases. The science behind vaccines is robust and well-tested and the overwhelming consensus of scientific evidence is clear that there is no link between vaccines and autism. Vaccines have been rigorously tested and examined for decades," the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials said in a statement.
The American Medical Association said, "Despite recent changes to the CDC website, an abundance of evidence from decades of scientific studies shows no link between vaccines and autism. Extensive and rigorous studies consistently show that vaccines are safe and effective at protecting against serious illness."
The progressive political action committee 314 Action, which works to get Democrats in STEM elected to higher offices, labeled the page as "anti-vaccine propaganda." 314 Action Executive Director Erik Polyak spread blame between both Kennedy and Cassidy, writing the senator's decision to elevate Kennedy was a "reckless move that dismissed urgent warnings from thousands of scientists and medical professionals nationwide."
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