CDC replaces vaccines, autism website with false, misleading statements

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has changed its approach web page On autism and vaccines, remove ambiguous statements that vaccines do not cause neurodevelopmental disorders and replace them with inaccurate and misleading information about the link between shots and autism.

Until Wednesday, CDC page, “Autism and Vaccines,” Beginning: “Studies have shown no link between receiving vaccines and developing autism spectrum disorder (ASD).”

This was followed, in large font, by the black statement: “Vaccines do not cause autism.”

The rest of the page summarizes some CDC studies on autism and vaccine ingredients, none of which found a causal link between the two.

On Wednesday, the page was changed to now begin: “The claim ‘vaccines do not cause autism’ is not an evidence-based claim because studies have not ruled out the possibility that vaccines cause autism in children.”

The words “Vaccines do not cause autism” still appear near the top, but with an asterisk leading to a note at the bottom.

“The ‘Vaccines Do Not Cause Autism’ headline has not been removed due to an agreement with the chairman of the US Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee that it will remain on the CDC website,” the site says.

The committee’s chairman, Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), voted to replace Kennedy with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as secretary of Health and Human Services. He promised that he will not spoil the trust of the people In vaccines.

“What parents need to hear now is that vaccines for measles, polio, hepatitis B and other childhood diseases are safe and effective and do not cause autism. Any statement to the contrary is false, irresponsible and actively making Americans sick,” Cassidy said in a post on X Thursday afternoon. “Families are getting sick and people are dying from vaccine-preventable deaths, and this tragedy must be stopped.” Cassidy’s office did not immediately respond to further requests for comment Thursday.

“Studies supporting the link have been ignored by health officials,” HHS spokesman Andrew Dixon said in an email. “We are updating the CDC website to reflect the gold standard, evidence-based science.”

The news was met with outrage and alarm from scientists and advocates.

“Can we trust what comes from the CDC anymore? I don’t know the answer to that question,” said Dr. Sean O’Leary, chairman of the Infectious Diseases Committee at the American Academy of Pediatrics, adding that the website change reflects a “tragedy moment” for U.S. public health.

“We were surprised to find the content on the CDC website”Autism and vaccines“It has been altered and distorted, and is now filled with anti-vaccine rhetoric and outright lies about vaccines and autism,” the nonprofit Autism Science Foundation said in a statement. “The CDC’s former science and evidence-based website has been replaced with misinformation and now actually contradicts the best available science.”

Alison Singer, the organization’s co-founder and president, expressed further frustration.

“Just as we’re no longer studying whether the Earth is flat, at some point in terms of autism and vaccines, you have to call it quits and say enough is enough,” Singer said. “We don’t have unlimited money to study autism, and if we keep asking the same questions, we’ll never find the root causes of autism.”

A current CDC paper now says that the increase in autism diagnoses is linked to the increase in the number of vaccines given to children. Many researchers have argued that d An increase in the diagnosis of autism spectrum disorders It is better described by the expanding diagnostic definition of the disorder, with better monitoring and diagnosis for more children.

“This issue has been thoroughly studied, and it has been shown repeatedly that vaccines do not cause autism,” said Colleen Clack, executive director of the Autistic Advocacy Network. “This administration continues to tell lies about autism that endanger both our community and the broader population.”