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US Executive Order changing childhood vaccinations sparks controversy
Political pressure over autism concerns triggers sharp medical backlash
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By Peter Clark (Senior Editor, Autism Info Center) Friday 2nd October 2026 |
A controversial executive order seeking to scale back recommended childhood vaccination schedules has provoked intense backlash from leading medical associations.
The political directive reduces the number of recommended shots and urges the unbundling of combined vaccines, citing unproven concerns regarding rising autism rates.
Administration sources indicated that the order was driven by political frustration over the pace of agency investigations into alleged environmental causes of neurodevelopmental conditions.
Major paediatric colleges and public health institutions strongly condemned the move, reiterating that dozens of global studies involving millions of children have thoroughly disproven any connection between vaccines and autism.
Medical leaders warned that using autism as a political justification to alter public health guidance will create dangerous vaccine hesitancy, expose children to preventable illnesses, and mislead the public.
Disability advocates also voiced anger, pointing out that spending public energy chasing debunked theories diverts essential funding away from genuine community support, inclusive education, and the real-world healthcare services that autistic people urgently need.
Source: The Independent (UK)
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/
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