For nearly 80 years, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) was respected around the world for its authoritative, evidence-based leadership in public health.
But the CDC’s stunning reversal Wednesday—stating on its website that “studies have not ruled out the possibility that infant vaccines cause autism”—shows the agency can no longer be trusted, multiple doctors and public health advocates told CIDRAP News.
Until late yesterday, the CDC webpage accurately stated, “Studies have shown that there is no link between receiving vaccines and developing autism spectrum disorder (ASD). No links have been found between any vaccine ingredients and ASD.”
Today, the CDC website echoes the views of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has claimed without evidence that vaccines cause autism.
The CDC website 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.”
A 'tragic day' for public health
Instead of a global leader in science, the CDC has devolved into “a propaganda machine for RFK Jr.'s fixed, immutable, science-resistant theories,” said Paul Offit, MD, an infectious disease specialist at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and co-inventor of the rotavirus vaccine. “The CDC is being weaponized to promote RFK Jr.’s anti-vaccine point of view. So why should you trust it?”
Many public health experts who spoke to CIDRAP News sounded sorrowful.
“Today is a tragic day for public health, for the US government,” said Michael T. Osterholm, PhD, MPH, director of the University of Minnesota's Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (publisher of CIDRAP News). “Ideology has replaced science as the means for addressing life-saving research and best practices that save lives.”
Many physicians worry that the CDC’s new message will dissuade parents from vaccinating their children.
“This will cause real harm,” said Jake Scott, MD, an infectious disease expert and clinical associate professor at the Stanford University School of Medicine.
“Parents searching for trustworthy information will find official CDC language that appears to validate concerns that have been thoroughly debunked. Some will delay or skip vaccines. We know what happens next—preventable diseases return to communities with low vaccination rates.”
The CDC also removed scientific reviews of vaccines from its website. The website now rehashes conspiracy theories claiming that government scientists and the medical community have hidden the truth about vaccines, claiming, that “studies supporting a link have been ignored by health authorities.”
We know what happens next—preventable diseases return to communities with low vaccination rates.
Attacking scientists as dishonest and corrupt comes straight out of the anti-vaccine playbook, said Peter Hotez, MD, codirector of the Texas Children’s Hospital Center for Vaccine Development, who also helped develop an affordable, unpatented COVID-19 vaccine.
“This is how the wellness influencer industry works,” Hotez said. “It’s not enough to push the snake oil. You have to discredit mainstream biomedical science and portray scientists as public enemies or cartoon villains, and that's what Kennedy’s seeking to do.”
CDC employees became the target of violence in August after a gunman who blamed COVID-19 shots for his depression fired 180 shots into the agency’s Atlanta headquarters, killing a police officer.
Vaccines don’t cause autism
Independent researchers from seven countries have conducted 40 high-quality studies involving 5.6 million people looking at the relationship between vaccines and autism since 1998.
“The conclusion is clear and unambiguous: There’s no link between vaccines and autism,” said Susan J. Kressly, MD, president of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).
“Anyone repeating this harmful myth is misinformed or intentionally trying to mislead parents,” Kressley said. “We call on the CDC to stop wasting government resources to amplify false claims that sow doubt in one of the best tools we have to keep children healthy and thriving: routine immunizations.”
During his confirmation hearing, Kennedy promised Sen. Bill Cassidy, MD, a Republican from Louisiana, that he would not remove statements on the CDC website that said vaccines do not cause autism. Cassidy's approval was critical in confirming Kennedy as HHS secretary.
Anyone repeating this harmful myth is misinformed or intentionally trying to mislead parents.
Cassidy didn’t respond to an interview request. But he posted about the importance of vaccines on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.
“I’m a doctor who has seen people die from vaccine-preventable diseases,” Cassidy wrote. “What parents need to know right now is vaccines for measles, polio, hepatitis B and other childhood diseases are safe and effective and will not cause autism. Any statement to the contrary is wrong, irresponsible and actively makes Americans sicker.”
The CDC’s rejection of vaccine science undercuts the credibility of all federal government science, said Ari Ne’eman, PhD, an assistant professor of health policy and management at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
“It gives people justifiable cause to be suspicious about anything that comes out from this administration regarding the science of autism,” Ne’eman said. “This reinforces this sense that RFK Jr.’s political judgments are being used in place of the scientific process.”
Debra Houry, MD, the CDC’s former chief medical officer, said the agency’s scientists had nothing to do with the website change.
“Scientists were not involved in any of these decisions, and when you remove science from scientific information you get ideology,” said Houry, who resigned from the CDC in August.
“This is what we have been warning Congress about—and yesterday on a webinar for health journalists I said I would not trust information on autism from CDC,” she added.
Meanwhile, allies of Kennedy are cheering the changes. "This is the biggest health reversal of our lifetime," Children's Health Defense, the anti-vaccine group founded by Kennedy, said on X.
Autism community speaks out
The autism community, which has long pushed back against the idea that vaccines cause autism, also criticized the changes to the CDC website.
“No environmental factor has been better studied as a potential cause of autism,” said Alison Singer, MBA, president of the Autism Science Foundation
“The facts don’t change because the administration does,” Singer said. “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.”
Autistic people have been sharply critical of Kennedy for his demeaning characterizations of people with the condition and description of the neurodevelopmental condition as a tragedy.
You can’t just ignore data because it doesn’t confirm your beliefs, but that’s what the administration is doing.
“It isn’t clear what further amount or type of proof or research would be enough to satisfy Kennedy or the CDC that autism isn’t caused by vaccines,” said Sam Brandsen, PhD, who has autism and is a part-time postdoctoral researcher at the University of Alberta in Canada. Brandsen’s son also has autism.
“Even if vaccines were the cause of autism—which I don't believe—I would much rather have my child be his wonderful autistic self and have vaccine protection against deadly diseases than try to withhold necessary vaccines out of a fear of autistic traits,” Brandsen said.
