Overview

• The NIH is aggregating private health data, including pharmacy records and fitness tracker data, for autism research under RFK Jr.'s direction.
• A national autism registry is being established, raising significant privacy and ethical concerns from advocates and experts.
• NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya announced that preliminary results from the studies will not be available until 2026, contradicting Kennedy's earlier promise of answers by September 2025.
• Advocacy groups and experts have criticized Kennedy’s rhetoric, describing it as stigmatizing and scientifically unsupported, particularly his claims that autism is a preventable epidemic caused by environmental toxins.
• Kennedy's appointment of controversial figures and his history of promoting debunked vaccine theories have heightened skepticism about the initiative's intent and credibility.