Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

By Joe Lombardi From Daily Voice

Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said he directed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to change its long-held position that vaccines do not cause autism, a move that has sparked immediate backlash from public health experts.

The CDC quietly revised its vaccine safety webpage Thursday, Nov. 20, removing the previously definitive assertion that “vaccines do not cause autism.”

Prior to that, the website had stated over decades: “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.”

The site now says the claim is not fully evidence-based, arguing that existing studies have not entirely ruled out the possibility that infant vaccines could contribute to autism. 

The CDC page now lists three "key points":

  • 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.
  • Studies supporting a link have been ignored by health authorities.
  • HHS has launched a comprehensive assessment of the causes of autism, including investigations on plausible biologic mechanisms and potential causal links.

The move has alarmed many in the medical community, coming at a time when childhood vaccination rates are already slipping, and diseases like measles and whooping cough are making a comeback.

Kennedy, who has often promoted skepticism about vaccines, clarified that he is not claiming vaccines cause autism directly. Instead, he says there is no conclusive proof that they do not. 

“The whole thing about ‘vaccines have been tested and there’s been this determination made,’ is just a lie,” Kennedy told The New York Times. “The phrase ‘Vaccines do not cause autism’ is not supported by science.”

Critics say the change undermines public trust and ignores extensive research. Pediatricians and public health officials stress that major studies have consistently found no link between vaccines and autism. 

The CDC’s revised language now says that while most evidence does not support a link, it cannot be completely ruled out. The shift follows Kennedy’s direct intervention, according to his own statements, and is seen as a major break with established scientific consensus.