The CDC has caused outrage from many in the medical community after changing its webpage on Wednesday to include language that links vaccines to autism, despite numerous studies showing that there’s no link.
At the top of the webpage, the CDC states that the claim that vaccines don’t cause autism is not evidence-based “because studies have not ruled out the possibility that infant vaccines cause autism.” It also says that studies supporting a link have been “ignored” by health authorities, and that HHS is assessing the causes of autism, “including investigations on plausible biologic mechanisms and potential causal links.”
There is also a header that says “Vaccines do not cause autism.” However, this has an asterisk next to it that states, “The header ‘Vaccines do not cause autism’ has not been removed due to an agreement with the chair of the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee that it would remain on the CDC website.”
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., secretary of the Health and Human Services, has also been a vocal vaccine critic. He recently dismissed the CDC’s independent vaccine advisory panel, replacing them with vaccine skeptics.
The American Medical Association slammed the CDC’s changes to the 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. Vaccination is essential to protect individuals and communities from preventable diseases, making it a fundamental element of public health,” said Sandra Adamson Fryhofer, MD, trustee of the American Medical Association.
Fryhofer added that the AMA is “deeply concerned” that the “misleading claims” will lead to more confusion and harmful consequences for Americans.
The Autism Science Foundation also came out against the CDC’s actions.
“The facts don’t change because the administration does,” said Alison Singer, president of the Autism Science Foundation, in a statement. “At this point it’s not about doing more studies; it’s about being willing to accept what the existing study data clearly show. You can’t just ignore data because it doesn’t confirm your beliefs, but that’s what the administration is doing.”
Autism Speaks, meanwhile, stated that two of the changes are particularly concerning. First, it dismisses “robust, established evidence” by elevating outdated studies, including one 20-year-old parent survey with 77 respondents. Second, it relies on “long-discredited correlations.” It states that autism correlates with the rise of childhood vaccines, but this “does not mean causation,” Autism Speaks said.
“We urge the CDC to restore fact-based language, reaffirm that vaccines do not cause autism, and redirect focus toward research and programs that address the critical priorities of autistic individuals and their families,” the organization said in a statement.
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