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CDC instructed to change stance on vaccines and autism
RFK Jr doesn't believe vaccines don't cause autism
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By Peter Clark (Senior Editor, Autism Info Center) Wednesday 3rd December 2025 |
Robert F Kennedy Jr, the incoming US health secretary, stated in an interview that he personally instructed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to change its longstanding position that vaccines do not cause autism.
Following his directive, the CDC website was updated to state that the claim 'vaccines do not cause autism' is not evidence-based, countering decades of scientific consensus.
Kennedy argued that gaps remain in vaccine safety science, despite numerous large-scale studies showing no link between routine childhood vaccines and autism.
Public health officials and experts have expressed alarm, with the Los Angeles County health department issuing a statement refuting the change and affirming that the increase in autism diagnoses reflects better screening and awareness, not a link to vaccines.
The move has sparked concern among medical professionals that such rhetoric will increase stigma against the autistic community and discourage vaccination.
Source: The Guardian (USA)
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/nov/21/rfk-jr-cdc-vaccine-autism
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