The CDC has rewritten a key page on autism, suggesting without evidence that vaccines might cause the condition. This change has triggered strong anger and fear among doctors, scientists, and parents. Many say Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is damaging the credibility of a trusted health agency.
Public health experts worry this is the first step in a broader effort to weaken childhood vaccination. They say the new CDC wording falsely implies that health officials ignored research suggesting a vaccine-autism link.
“This isn’t over,” said Helen Tager-Flusberg, professor emerita at Boston University. She noted that Kennedy hired several well-known anti-vaccine activists to review CDC vaccine safety data. Their conclusions are expected soon.
“They are shaping the data to say vaccines do cause autism,” she said. Tager-Flusberg leads a group of more than 320 autism researchers concerned about the administration’s actions.
Next month, Kennedy’s advisory committee will meet to consider major changes to the CDC’s vaccination schedule. One potential change is removing the long-standing recommendation that newborns receive the hepatitis B vaccine within hours of birth. Kennedy has repeatedly and falsely claimed that vaccine ingredients cause problems such as asthma, peanut allergies, and autism.
Angela Rasmussen, a virologist at the University of Saskatchewan, says the revised CDC page will likely be used to support attempts to roll back childhood immunizations. “People will cite it as evidence, even though it’s completely made up,” she said.
A CDC official, speaking anonymously, said the edits were made by HHS. Abigail Tighe of the National Public Health Coalition confirmed that the CDC’s developmental disability team was not consulted.
Scientists sharply criticized the site’s claim that studies “have not ruled out” a link between vaccines and autism. David Mandell, director of the Center for Autism Research at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, explained that it is impossible to prove a negative. Yet more than 25 large studies have consistently found no connection.
The site also states that “studies supporting a link have been ignored.” Experts say this refers to discredited research by Mark and David Geier, long dismissed by the scientific community. David Geier is now one of the outside reviewers hired by Kennedy.
When asked to show suppressed studies proving a link, HHS spokesperson Andrew Nixon cited older reports that only suggested further research. He did not produce a single study showing a true connection.
Expert Reaction
Doctors and public health officials condemned the changes. They said the CDC has always been a trusted source of objective science, and the new content breaks that legacy.
Amesh Adalja of Johns Hopkins said the Kennedy team has turned the CDC “into an organ of anti-vaccine propaganda.”
Sean O’Leary of the University of Colorado called it a turning point: “They are clearly using the CDC to spread lies.”
Atul Gawande, a surgeon and author, said the CDC website “has been lobotomized.” Former CDC leader Demetre Daskalakis said the agency is now “a zombie organization,” noting massive staff losses and resignations.
Daniel Jernigan, another former CDC director, said Kennedy has shifted from evidence-based decisions to “decision-based evidence,” twisting terms like “transparency” and “gold-standard science” into their opposites.
What the Research Shows
Parents often see signs of autism when children are about one to two years old. This timing overlaps with many early childhood vaccinations, which has fueled confusion. But this is simply the natural development pattern of autism, Tager-Flusberg explained.
When early speculation about vaccines and autism appeared around 2000, researchers investigated quickly. Decades of well-designed studies have since shown that autism is linked to genetic factors and aspects of fetal development. Risks increase with factors such as premature birth, older parental age, or certain infections during pregnancy. Evidence so far shows no link to childhood vaccines and no link to Tylenol use.
Bruce Gellin, former director of the National Vaccine Program Office, said the research rejecting a vaccine-autism link is among the strongest in modern science.
Experts warn that the CDC edits will erode trust and lead to more outbreaks of preventable diseases. Georgetown professor and former FDA scientist Jesse Goodman said the changes “will lead to more disease.”
Alison Singer of the Autism Science Foundation fears the impact on new parents. “They might delay vaccines because they think the government still needs to study this,” she said.
Paul Offit, director of the Vaccine Education Center at CHOP, says Kennedy’s actions mislead families and put children in danger. “He thinks he’s helping children with autism, but he’s doing the opposite.”
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