CDC Website Revision Sparks Outrage Over Reintroduction of Discredited Vaccine-Autism Link
Washington D.C. - November 20, 2025 – 18:44 – The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has revised its website to include language questioning the safety of vaccines, specifically regarding a potential link to autism, reversing years of efforts to combat misinformation on the topic. The changes, made wednesday night, reflect the long-held skepticism of US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
For years, the CDC website maintained a position grounded in scientific evidence: that studies demonstrate no link between vaccines and autism spectrum disorder. This stance was supported by a ample body of research, including a 2013 study conducted by the agency itself.
However, the updated website now asserts that existing studies do not definitively rule out a connection between childhood vaccines and autism. The revised text alleges that health authorities have disregarded research suggesting a relationship and states the Department of Health has initiated a complete evaluation of autism’s causes.
This shift directly contradicts established medical and scientific consensus. The original theory linking the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine to autism originated with a 1998 study that was later retracted due to falsified data and subsequently refuted by numerous subsequent investigations.
The changes have ignited a firestorm of criticism from scientists and public health officials.Demetre Daskalakis, former director of the CDC’s division dedicated to vaccinations and respiratory diseases, who resigned earlier this year, expressed alarm. “The CDC’s instrumentalization of information is getting worse,” he stated on X,describing the update as an attempt “to generate chaos without scientific basis.” He issued a stark warning: “DO NOT TRUST THIS AGENCY.”
Susan Kressly, president of the American academy of Pediatrics, released a statement demanding the CDC cease spreading ”false claims that cast doubt on one of the best tools we have to keep children healthy and thriving: routine vaccination.” Kressly cited “40 high-quality studies” concluding, “the conclusion is clear and unequivocal: there is no relationship between vaccines and autism.”
Conversely, the anti-vaccine group Children’s Health defense lauded the revisions. Executive Director Mary Holland posted on X, “thank you, Bobby,” referencing Health Secretary Kennedy, who founded and previously led the organization.
The CDC’s move raises serious concerns about the politicization of public health information and the potential impact on vaccination rates.
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