Overview
- A CDC page updated Nov. 20 states the claim "vaccines do not cause autism" is not evidence-based, yet the page retains a headline that reads "Vaccines do not cause Autism" with an asterisk.
- A note on the page says the headline remained due to an agreement with Senate HELP Chair Bill Cassidy, whose office and the senator publicly reiterated that vaccines do not cause autism.
- HHS said it has launched a comprehensive assessment of autism causes and described the website changes as reflecting gold‑standard science.
- Major medical organizations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Autism Science Foundation, rebuked the change and reaffirmed decades of studies finding no causal link.
- The CDC employees’ union said autism researchers at the agency were not involved and called the wording misleading, while local health leaders warned the confusion could fuel hesitancy during flu, RSV, and COVID‑19 season.