Overview

• 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.