CDC to Conduct Study on Vaccines and Autism Despite Established Scientific Consensus

The planned study revisits a debunked theory as measles outbreaks grow, raising concerns about public health messaging and vaccine hesitancy.

The CDC is reportedly planning a large-scale study to investigate potential links between vaccines and autism, despite decades of research disproving such a connection.
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a long-time vaccine skeptic, has not confirmed involvement in the study but has previously promoted the discredited theory linking vaccines to autism.
The study comes during one of the largest U.S. measles outbreaks in a decade, with over 150 cases and two deaths reported in under-vaccinated communities in Texas and New Mexico.
Experts warn that revisiting the debunked theory could undermine public trust in vaccines, potentially exacerbating vaccine hesitancy and reducing immunization rates.
The rise in autism diagnoses is attributed by researchers to improved screening and broader diagnostic criteria, not vaccines, and the causes of autism remain under study with a focus on genetic and prenatal factors.