US Health Agency Sparks Outrage with Vaccine Page Revision
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has dramatically altered its official vaccine safety guidance to reflect Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr's controversial belief in a connection between vaccines and autism. This position stands in direct opposition to decades of scientific research and has triggered immediate backlash from medical experts worldwide.
Content Changes and Political Compromises
The CDC's vaccine safety webpage now states: "The statement 'Vaccines do not cause autism' is not an evidence-based claim." In a pointed addition, the revised content asserts that "studies supporting a link have been ignored by health authorities."
The extent of the revision becomes particularly evident through an asterisk attached to the pre-existing statement that "vaccines do not cause autism." An explanation at the bottom of the page reveals this statement remained only due to an agreement with Senator Bill Cassidy, the Louisiana Republican who chairs the US Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee.
Senator Cassidy, himself a medical doctor, initially opposed Kennedy's nomination but ultimately voted to confirm him after securing assurances that statements denying the vaccine-autism link would remain on the CDC website.
Scientific Community Reacts with Alarm
The changes have provoked severe criticism from public health specialists and autism experts. Debra Houry, among several top CDC officials who resigned in August, confirmed to AP that agency scientists were completely unaware of these alterations. "When scientists are cut out of scientific reviews, then inaccurate and ideologic information results," Houry stated emphatically.
The Autism Science Foundation, which had cautiously welcomed Kennedy's promised investigation into autism causes, expressed outrage at the revisions. "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," the foundation declared in an official statement.
Dr Daniel Jernigan, another former CDC official who resigned in August, offered a stark assessment of the situation: Kennedy appears to be "going from evidence-based decision making to decision-based evidence making."
Broader Implications for Public Health
The controversial webpage changes represent the latest demonstration of Kennedy's determination to implement his personal beliefs throughout the massive Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees the CDC. Notably, the revised page cites no new research to support its altered position, instead mentioning that "HHS has launched a comprehensive assessment of the causes of autism."
This development occurs against a backdrop of Kennedy's other unconventional health views, including his belief that autism might be connected to pregnant individuals taking Tylenol - a suspicion previously promoted by Donald Trump.
Dr Susan Kressly, president of the American Academy of Pediatrics, delivered a powerful response: "The conclusion is clear and unambiguous. We call on the CDC to stop wasting government resources to amplify false claims that sow doubt in one of the best tools we have to keep children healthy and thriving: routine immunizations."
The episode has raised serious concerns about the credibility of future CDC communications, with numerous former agency officials warning that information on vaccine safety and other critical health topics can no longer be automatically trusted.
