AAP President Susan J. Kressly, M.D., FAAP, said studying a discredited theory that linked vaccines and autism does a disservice to individuals with autism and their families.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), under the guidance of new U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., reportedly will reexamine the issue, despite multiple large-scale studies finding no such link. The CDC website still notes, “Vaccines do not cause autism.”
“Devoting more research dollars to answer a question that is already known does not add to our knowledge about the safety of vaccines,” Dr. Kressly said in a statement.
In last week’s address to Congress, President Donald J. Trump alluded to CDC statistics showing that one in 36 children in the U.S. has been identified with autism spectrum disorder.
“CDC will leave no stone unturned in its mission to figure out what exactly is happening,” said HHS spokesperson Andrew Nixon in a statement. “The American people expect high quality research and transparency and that is what CDC is delivering.”
A CDC webpage last updated Dec. 30, 2024, titled “Autism and Vaccines,” begins with these two statements:
- “Studies have shown that there is no link between receiving vaccines and developing autism spectrum disorder (ASD).”
- “No links have been found between any vaccine ingredients and ASD.”
Dr. Kressly said the funding that would be devoted to further exploring this topic can be better spent to benefit those with autism.
“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,” Dr. Kressly said. “We should be talking about prioritizing research on a wide range of child health priorities to explore what will help every child thrive and reach their fullest potential.”
