On November 19, 2025, the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated its Autism and Vaccines website to state the following (click image to enlarge):
I’d like to take this opportunity to debunk the first 2 bullets in the Key Points section, as the information is just plain wrong, based on a preponderance of what the scientific community knows today.
The first bullet 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.” I’ve worked in a health services research capacity with a focus on evidence-based medicine for 16 years, and I can say that this statement is misguided on at least 2 levels. First, the claim that “vaccines do not cause autism” IS in fact an evidence-based claim. The original study that suggested a causal link between vaccines and autism has been debunked. It was formally retracted and its lead author was found to have engaged in serious research misconduct, including falsification of data and undisclosed conflicts of interest. See this story (https://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/journal-study-that-linked-vaccines-and-autism-was-fraudulent) for more information. Since then, there have been no credible well-conducted studies that demonstrate a link between vaccines and autism. Evidence-based guidance is founded on the principle that the preponderance of credible evidence favors a certain conclusion. Any knowledgeable and unbiased researcher would assert that the claim that “vaccines do not cause autism” is in fact evidence-based because a credible link between vaccines and autism has never been established.
The second part of the first bullet that is misguided is the statement that “studies have not ruled out the possibility that infant vaccines cause autism.” This is just plain illogical and a confusing and possibly devious use of words, to which it is not logical to draw any meaningful conclusions. You see, studies cannot not designed to “rule out the possibility that infant vaccines cause autism” because no such association has ever been observed. If I stated that “studies have not ruled out the possibility that pigs can fly” then it would be illogical to conclude the opposite argument that MAYBE pigs could fly, unless there was any credible observation that they could in fact fly. I believe that such a meaningless statement could only be made by someone who either has ulterior motives or beliefs that are not supported by science, or they are possibly made under duress.
Moving on to the second bullet point that “Studies supporting a link have been ignored by health authorities” is also misguided. The reason that health authorities ignore studies supporting a link between vaccines and autism is because there have been no credible scientific studies that support such a link. If I said that “studies supporting the possibility that pigs can fly have been ignored by the general public” then a rational person would say that those studies should be rightfully ignored because pigs have NEVER been witnessed to fly, based on credible evidence. So to imply that health authorities are sweeping an issue under the rug requires that there be a credible and rational reason to pay attention to the issue. In this case, there is no reason for health authorities to waste time on this issue. In my opinion, the only reasons we are even discussing it is because the general public does not have a sufficient understanding of the scientific process, and conspiracy theories arise from this lack of understanding.
Regarding the third bullet that “HHS has launched a comprehensive assessment of the causes of autism, including investigations on plausible biologic mechanisms and potential causal links,” I am supportive of such actions and can only hope that this research will be carried out responsibly and in accordance with the scientific method. I also assume that such a “comprehensive assessment” would result in data that are in agreement with the preponderance of previously established scientific information, and if so, then I hope that rational individuals would challenge their prior unsupported beliefs about a link between vaccines and autism. However, if HHS’ “comprehensive assessment” does not involve original credible research and they instead cherry-pick data from poorly conducted studies, then it will be obvious that HHS/CDC is driving a political agenda (as if it was not already clear). On the other hand, if there is novel credible research that is performed according to the scientific method that does in fact establish a link between vaccines and autism, then I will be eager to read that research, modify my perspective on this topic accordingly, and encourage additional studies to further corroborate such novel evidence.
In summary, the claims made by CDC are wrong and misguided based on a preponderance of the best available scientific information. At best, the claims represent a misunderstanding of science and evidence-based medicine. At worst, this is an example of misinformation by what was previously a well-respected federal agency. For additional reading on this topic, see the NPR article “The CDC revives debunked 'link' between childhood vaccines and autism” on 11/20/2025 and the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health’s “Statement on Updates to CDC Website on Vaccines and Autism” on 11/21/2025.
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