CDC Declares ‘the Possibility That Infant Vaccines Cause Autism’ Has Not Been Ruled Out in Major Messaging Shift
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has updated its language regarding vaccines and autism, now stating that the claim “vaccines do not cause autism” is not fully evidence-based as scientific studies have not definitively ruled out the possibility that infant vaccines might contribute to autism. This marks a significant shift from the CDC’s previous firm stance denying any link between vaccines and autism spectrum disorder. The updated CDC post acknowledges that some studies suggesting a connection have been overlooked by health authorities and that further inquiry into plausible biological mechanisms is underway as part of a broader assessment of autism causes by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
This change follows calls from Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to explore multiple potential causes of autism. The update has sparked mixed reactions: advocacy groups like Children’s Health Defense welcome it, seeing it as overdue recognition, while many medical experts, including infectious disease physicians and public health officials, criticize the shift as politically motivated and harmful to public health efforts.Critics worry that such statements could increase vaccine hesitancy and lead to outbreaks of preventable diseases, emphasizing that vaccines are safe and effective and that the evidence does not support a causal link to autism. The debate continues as scientific and political communities respond to the CDC’s revised position.
Couched in the cautionary claims of health research, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has dropped a bombshell on medical orthodoxy.
In a post about vaccines and autism, the CDC wrote that, “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.”
As noted by The New York Times, the site formerly said there was “no link between receiving vaccines and developing autism spectrum disorder.”
The new post also wrote that “studies supporting a link have been ignored by health authorities.”
The CDC just admitted what scientists and parents have said for years.
The agency now says the claim “vaccines do not cause autism” is not evidence based.
The science has never ruled out a link.
And officials pushed that line to manage hesitancy, not because the studies proved… pic.twitter.com/DfetjAynaT
— MAHA Action (@MAHA_Action) November 20, 2025
“Scientific studies have not ruled out the possibility that infant vaccines contribute to the development of autism. However, this statement has historically been disseminated by the CDC and other federal health agencies within HHS to prevent vaccine hesitancy,” the post said.
But the post noted that questions have been raised.
“Approximately one in two surveyed parents
The post did not offer a definitive statement on causes of autism, but wrote that “HHS will evaluate plausible biologic mechanisms between early childhood vaccinations and autism.”
“HHS has launched a comprehensive assessment of the causes of autism, including investigations on plausible biologic mechanisms and potential causal links,” the post said.
The revision in language comes after Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has suggested there could be multiple causes of autism that need to be investigated, as noted by The Wall Street Journal.
The change brought widely different reactions.
“Finally, the CDC is beginning to acknowledge the truth about this condition that affects millions,” Children’s Health Defense, an organization founded by RFK Jr., said.
“This revision represents political pressure overriding scientific consensus,” Dr. Jake Scott, an infectious disease physician at Stanford University, said of the move, calling the change “a dangerous precedent for evidence-based medicine.”
Sen. Bill Cassidy, a Republican from Louisiana, pushed back against the change in a post on X.
“I’m a doctor who has seen people die from vaccine-preventable diseases. What parents need to hear right now is vaccines for measles, polio, hepatitis B and other childhood diseases are safe and effective and will not cause autism. Any statement to the contrary is wrong, irresponsible, and actively makes Americans sicker,” he wrote.
I’m a doctor who has seen people die from vaccine-preventable diseases. What parents need to hear right now is vaccines for measles, polio, hepatitis B and other childhood diseases are safe and effective and will not cause autism. Any statement to the contrary is wrong,…
— U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (@SenBillCassidy) November 20, 2025
“We need to understand the real causes of autism. Studies show there’s a genetic predisposition when a mom who’s pregnant is exposed to environmental toxins which can increase a child’s risk of autism. It’s deeply troubling that, according to HHS officials, they appeared to have canceled hundreds of millions in research on autism genetics,” he wrote.
“Redirecting attention to factors we definitely know DO NOT cause autism denies families the answers they deserve. We had two children die and many more hospitalized nationally from measles this year. Louisiana is experiencing its worst whooping cough outbreak in 35 years. Families are getting sick and people are dying from vaccine-preventable deaths, and that tragedy needs to stop,” he continued.
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