HHS Launches Global Autism Research Initiative with September Deadline

RFK Jr. announces a worldwide scientific effort to identify the cause of rising autism rates, with findings expected within five months.

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. pledged to determine the cause of the 'autism epidemic' by September through a global research initiative involving hundreds of scientists.
The prevalence of autism diagnoses in the U.S. has risen to an estimated 1 in 31 children, up from 1 in 150 in 2000, attributed in part to expanded diagnostic criteria and awareness.
President Trump speculated about potential environmental or artificial causes, including food, substances, or vaccines, despite decades of research finding no link between vaccines and autism.
Kennedy’s history of vaccine skepticism, including debunked claims linking vaccines to autism, has raised concerns about the objectivity of the research effort.
The initiative faces scrutiny over its feasibility, the hiring of controversial figures like David Geier, and significant budget cuts and restructuring within HHS under Kennedy’s leadership.