CDC Updates Vaccines-Autism Page, Draws Criticism

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated its webpage on vaccines and autism on Wednesday, altering longstanding language to suggest that scientific studies have not fully ruled out a possible link between infant vaccines and the neurodevelopmental disorder, a move that has drawn sharp criticism from public health experts and autism advocates.

The revised page, titled "Autism and Vaccines," now states that the claim "vaccines do not cause autism" is not evidence-based because research has not eliminated the possibility of such a connection. It also mentions that studies supporting a link have been overlooked by health authorities and notes a correlation between rising autism diagnoses and increased childhood vaccinations. However, the headline "Vaccines do not cause autism" remains, marked with an asterisk. A footnote explains that the phrasing was retained due to an agreement with the chair of the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee.

The update contradicts decades of research, including large-scale studies by the CDC and other organizations, which have consistently found no causal relationship between vaccines and autism spectrum disorder....