In brief
In a surprising move, the CDC revised its vaccine safety webpage, stating that the claim 'vaccines do not cause autism' is not evidence-based. This has drawn widespread condemnation from scientists and autism advocates who argue that the revision threatens public trust in vaccines. Former officials express concern over the motivations behind this change, linking it to HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s controversial views on vaccine safety.
NEW YORK (AP) — A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website update has sparked outrage among public health experts and autism advocates by stating that the claim 'vaccines do not cause autism' is not an evidence-based assertion.
This significant alteration to the CDC’s 'vaccine safety' webpage, announced on Wednesday, has been criticized by medical professionals and organizations dedicated to autism research.
'We are appalled to find that the content on the CDC webpage 'Autism and Vaccines' has been changed and distorted, and is now filled with anti-vaccine rhetoric and outright lies about vaccines and autism,' stated the Autism Science Foundation.
Dr. Susan Kressly, president of the American Academy of Pediatrics, reiterated the scientific consensus, affirming that decades of studies have conclusively shown no link between vaccines and autism. 'The conclusion is clear and unambiguous,' she asserted.
In the statement, the CDC also noted that it was revisiting the scientific consensus around vaccine safety, a move seen as an attempt to sow doubt about vaccines that have long been established as safe.
This change aligns with the controversial stance taken by Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has been a long-time critic of vaccines and has previously expressed skepticism about their safety.
While the revised webpage still states 'Vaccines do not cause autism', it now includes an asterisk and a note indicating that this conclusion has not been removed following an agreement with Senate committee chairs.
Experts are calling for the CDC to maintain its commitment to science-based information, criticizing the potential impact of such changes on public health and vaccine confidence.
