The shift coincides with skepticism frequently expressed by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n
By I. Edwards HealthDay Reporter<\/b>
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FRIDAY, Nov. 21, 2025 (HealthDay News) \u2014 The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has updated a webpage about vaccines and autism, changing language that for years clearly stated there is no link between the two.<\/p>\n
The move has alarmed many doctors and public health experts, who say it misrepresents decades of scientific evidence, reports The New York Times<\/em>.<\/p>\n The previous version of the CDC page said research showed \u201cno link between receiving vaccines and developing autism<\/a> spectrum disorder,\u201d citing a 2013 CDC study.<\/p>\n But on Nov. 19, the updated page said the claim that \u201cvaccines do not cause autism\u201d is \u201cnot an evidence-based claim because studies have not ruled out the possibility that infant vaccines cause autism.\u201d<\/p>\n The updated text also says health authorities have \u201cignored\u201d studies that suggest a connection and notes that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is conducting a \u201ccomprehensive assessment\u201d of possible causes of autism.<\/p>\n The shift coincides with skepticism frequently expressed by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.<\/a>, despite dozens of studies over three decades, including a 2019 study in Denmark of the entire child population, showing no evidence that vaccines cause autism.<\/p>\n The new webpage still includes the phrase \u201cvaccines do not cause autism,\u201d but only because it was required to remain under an agreement with Sen. Bill Cassidy<\/a> of Louisiana, a doctor and chair of the Senate\u2019s Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.<\/p>\n Other CDC and U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) webpages continue to state that vaccines are not linked to autism.<\/p>\n Anti-vaccine groups praised the change.<\/p>\n Children\u2019s Health Defense<\/a>, founded by Kennedy, wrote on social media, “finally, the CDC is beginning to acknowledge the truth about this condition that affects millions.”<\/p>\n Doctors strongly disagreed, however.<\/p>\n “This revision represents political pressure overriding scientific consensus,” Dr. Jake Scott<\/a>, an infectious disease physician at Stanford University, wrote on social media.<\/p>\n He called the update “a dangerous precedent for evidence-based medicine.”<\/p>\n Dr. Susan Kressly,<\/a> president of the American Academy of Pediatrics<\/a>, also criticized the changes, stating that “the conclusion is clear and unambiguous: There\u2019s no link between vaccines and autism. Anyone repeating this harmful myth is misinformed or intentionally trying to mislead parents.”<\/p>\n She added that “the American Academy of Pediatrics stands with members of the autism community who have asked for support in stopping this rumor from spreading any further.”<\/p>\n The CDC also removed a separate webpage that explained why COVID-19 vaccination is recommended during pregnancy, replacing it with a message that states, “This page\u2019s content is currently being updated to align with recent recommendations from the Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices.”<\/p>\n More information<\/strong><\/p>\n The Mayo Clinic has more on autism<\/a>.<\/p>\n