The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has ignited a firestorm by dramatically altering the wording on its official webpage about autism and vaccines, suggesting for the first time that scientific studies have not ruled out the possibility that infant vaccines could cause the condition.
Controversial Changes to Official Guidance
In a move that has stunned medical experts, the CDC updated its 'autism and vaccines' page on Wednesday, adding bullet points that directly challenge long-established public health positions. The most significant addition states: 'The claim "vaccines do not cause autism" is not an evidence-based claim because studies have not ruled out the possibility that infant vaccines cause autism.'
Another newly added point claims that 'studies supporting a link have been ignored by health authorities,' while a third reveals that 'HHS has launched a comprehensive assessment of the causes of autism, including investigations on plausible biologic mechanisms and potential causal links.'
Despite these substantial revisions, the first section of the page remains titled 'Vaccines do not cause Autism,' though an asterisk now directs readers to a note explaining this header remains due to an agreement with the chair of the US Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee.
Expert Outrage and Political Interference
The changes have provoked immediate condemnation from leading public health figures who accuse the agency of allowing politics to override scientific evidence. Dr Krutika Kuppalli, an infectious diseases physician formerly at the World Health Organization, stated on X: 'The CDC's vaccine-autism mess isn't just about bad science and misinformation, it's about what happens when politics hijack public health.'
Dr Demetre Daskalakis, an infectious disease expert who previously led the CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, went further, declaring: 'The weaponization of the voice of CDC is getting worse. This is a public health emergency. CDC autism and vaccines page has been updated to cause chaos without scientific basis. DO NOT TRUST THIS AGENCY.'
The controversy centres around Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F Kennedy Junior, a well-known vaccine sceptic who has previously suggested vaccines may increase autism risk. Kennedy was appointed to his role after assuring lawmakers he would not undermine public confidence in vaccines.
Rising Autism Rates and Historical Context
The updated guidance comes as autism diagnoses have surged dramatically across the United States. Current data shows rates have increased from one in 150 children in the early 2000s to one in 31 today – an alarming trend that has prompted the new administration to investigate potential causes.
Previous research has attributed this rise to factors including increased awareness, improved diagnostic procedures, and broader definitions of the condition. Some recent studies have also suggested potential links to environmental factors like pollution and chemical contamination in food.
The historical claims linking vaccines to autism primarily stem from a discredited paper published in the 1980s by British researcher Andrew Wakefield, which was later revoked after review. More than 1,000 subsequent studies have found no connection between vaccinations and autism, according to the federal government's PubMed resource.
Dr Paul Offit, a pediatrician and adviser on the FDA's vaccines panel, emphasised to Daily Mail: 'The question has been answered again and again and again. Further CDC research will do nothing for children with autism and only increase the risk of vaccine-preventable diseases.'
The timing of these changes raises particular concern as vaccination rates decline across the US, with growing fears that the country could lose its hard-won measles elimination status as early as January. A persistent measles outbreak in West Texas, ongoing for nearly a year, highlights the real-world consequences of falling vaccine uptake.
