The
CDC
has
caused
outrage
from
many
in
the
medical
community
after
changing
its
webpage
on
Wednesday
to
include
language
that
links
vaccines
to
autism,
despite
numerous
studies
showing
that
there’s
no
link.
At
the
top
of
the
webpage,
the
CDC
states
that
the
claim
that
vaccines
don’t
cause
autism
is
not
evidence-based
“because
studies
have
not
ruled
out
the
possibility
that
infant
vaccines
cause
autism.”
It
also
says
that
studies
supporting
a
link
have
been
“ignored”
by
health
authorities,
and
that
HHS
is
assessing
the
causes
of
autism,
“including
investigations
on
plausible
biologic
mechanisms
and
potential
causal
links.”
There
is
also
a
header
that
says
“Vaccines
do
not
cause
autism.”
However,
this
has
an
asterisk
next
to
it
that
states,
“The
header
‘Vaccines
do
not
cause
autism’
has
not
been
removed
due
to
an
agreement
with
the
chair
of
the
U.S.
Senate
Health,
Education,
Labor,
and
Pensions
Committee
that
it
would
remain
on
the
CDC
website.”
Robert
F.
Kennedy
Jr.,
secretary
of
the
Health
and
Human
Services,
has
also
been
a
vocal
vaccine
critic.
He
recently
dismissed
the
CDC’s
independent
vaccine
advisory
panel,
replacing
them
with
vaccine
skeptics.
The
American
Medical
Association
slammed
the
CDC’s
changes
to
the
website.
“An
abundance
of
evidence
from
decades
of
scientific
studies
shows
no
link
between
vaccines
and
autism.
Extensive
and
rigorous
studies
consistently
show
that
vaccines
are
safe
and
effective
at
protecting
against
serious
illness.
Vaccination
is
essential
to
protect
individuals
and
communities
from
preventable
diseases,
making
it
a
fundamental
element
of
public
health,”
said
Sandra
Adamson
Fryhofer,
MD,
trustee
of
the
American
Medical
Association.
Fryhofer
added
that
the
AMA
is
“deeply
concerned”
that
the
“misleading
claims”
will
lead
to
more
confusion
and
harmful
consequences
for
Americans.
The
Autism
Science
Foundation
also
came
out
against
the
CDC’s
actions.
“The
facts
don’t
change
because
the
administration
does,”
said
Alison
Singer,
president
of
the
Autism
Science
Foundation,
in
a
statement.
“At
this
point
it’s
not
about
doing
more
studies;
it’s
about
being
willing
to
accept
what
the
existing
study
data
clearly
show.
You
can’t
just
ignore
data
because
it
doesn’t
confirm
your
beliefs,
but
that’s
what
the
administration
is
doing.”
Autism
Speaks,
meanwhile,
stated
that
two
of
the
changes
are
particularly
concerning.
First,
it
dismisses
“robust,
established
evidence”
by
elevating
outdated
studies,
including
one
20-year-old
parent
survey
with
77
respondents.
Second,
it
relies
on
“long-discredited
correlations.”
It
states
that
autism
correlates
with
the
rise
of
childhood
vaccines,
but
this
“does
not
mean
causation,”
Autism
Speaks
said.
“We
urge
the
CDC
to
restore
fact-based
language,
reaffirm
that
vaccines
do
not
cause
autism,
and
redirect
focus
toward
research
and
programs
that
address
the
critical
priorities
of
autistic
individuals
and
their
families,”
the
organization
said
in
a
statement.
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