CDC faces criticism for new research questioning link of vaccines and autism

Despite a host of studies finding no evidence of a link between vaccines and autism, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is moving ahead on new research to see if any tie exists.

Critics are saying the CDC is poised to waste time, effort, and money on such studies, even amid reports of the emergence of more measles cases. The news comes less than a month after Robert F. Kennedy Jr. took over as secretary of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. Kennedy faced intense criticism over his long record of dismissing vaccines.

Tina Tan, MD, president of the Infectious Diseases Society of America, criticized the CDC’s plans.

“Vaccines have been thoroughly researched and administered to large numbers of people of all ages and have been proven to be very safe and effective in preventing the spread of many serious infectious diseases and dramatically reducing deaths,” Tan said in a statement. “Decades of research and hundreds of carefully designed and scientifically sound studies show no link or association between vaccines and autism.”

“The announcement that CDC will look at potential links between vaccines and autism means that significant federal resources will be diverted from crucial areas of study, including research into the unknown causes of autism, at a time when research funding is already facing deep cuts,” Tan said.

Susan Kressly, MD, president of the American Academy of Pediatrics, said the CDC should focus on research on more pressing needs for children. She said Monday that repeated studies in multiple countries have explored if there is any link between vaccines and autism.

“We know from this repeated research that there is not a link,” Kressly said in a statement. “Devoting more research dollars to answer a question that is already known does not add to our knowledge about the safety of vaccines. It does a disservice to individuals with autism and their families by diverting funding that is needed to learn more about autism and how we can strengthen supportive communities.”

Ashish Jha, MD, who served as the White House COVID-19 response coordinator under former President Biden, said in a post on X that “the new CDC study on vaccines and autism is nonsense and a total waste of money.” Jha said it will also reinforce anti-vaccine groups who can say the “jury is still out on vaccine safety.”

“The goal is not to build vaccine confidence -- but to undermine it further,” he wrote.

Reuters first reported that the CDC planned to conduct studies to determine if there are links between vaccines and autism, and other media outlets have since followed up on the report.

Andrew Nixon, a spokesperson for the health department, told NBC News that the CDC is looking at all possibilities to find out why more cases of autism are being reported.

“As President Trump said in his joint address to Congress, the rate of autism in American children has skyrocketed. CDC will leave no stone unturned in its mission to figure out what exactly is happening,” Nixon told NBC News.

Health officials have reported an outbreak of nearly 200 cases of measles in west Texas, and another 30 cases in New Mexico, the Associated Press reports.

Tan said that CDC should be focusing on outbreaks, including the reports of measles cases.

“Outbreaks of deadly diseases like measles – which is preventable if a person is vaccinated – should be the top priority of federal health officials, not revisiting established science,” Tan said. “CDC’s study on the safety of vaccines could drive misinformation, leading to lower vaccination rates, more serious, vaccine-preventable disease outbreaks and a significantly weakened public health response.

Alison Singer, president of the Autism Science Foundation, told CNN that the idea that the CDC is going to study links of autism to vaccines is “harmful.”

“It will plant seeds of fear, particularly for new parents who may not be aware of the history of research on this,” Singer told CNN. “Parents will withhold vaccines, and children will die.”

Healthcare advocacy groups have expressed worries about reduced federal spending on health care and research as President Trump looks to cut spending across the government. Most of the 80,000 employees in the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services have received buyout offers, the Associated Press reports.

Sen. Bill Cassidy, a Louisiana Republican who is also a doctor, pointed to Kennedy’s record of vaccine skepticism in a hearing on his confirmation to lead the health department. Cassidy ultimately provided a pivotal vote to confirm Kennedy, but also expressed frustration in a January hearing over Kennedy’s refusal to affirm the safety of vaccines and reject ties between vaccines and autism.

Cassidy asked Kennedy, if he is confirmed, “Will you reassure mothers, unequivocally and without qualification, that the measles and hepatitis B vaccines do not cause autism?”

Kennedy responded by saying “if the data is there,” a phrase he used repeatedly in questioning from senators, when Cassidy interjected. “The data is there,” Cassidy said.

In testimony during his confirmation hearings, Kennedy pledged to maintain current vaccine recommendations for children.

In explaining the rationale for his vote of support for Kennedy, Cassidy said that he and Kennedy would meet regularly and that vaccine protocols wouldn’t be changed unless there was overwhelming scientific evidence. Cassidy also said on the Senate floor that “CDC will not remove statements on their website pointing out that vaccines do not cause autism.”