As national organizations dedicated to advancing the well-being of autistic individuals and partners across the disability and public health sectors, we are deeply disappointed by the latest update to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) website on autism and vaccines.
The website now states: “‘vaccines do not cause autism’ is not an evidence-based claim.” This is false. Nearly three decades of scientific research, consisting of dozens of high-quality studies conducted around the world, surveying millions of people, has repeatedly confirmed there is no causal link between vaccines and autism. The limited studies that have suggested otherwise have not been reproducible and are consistently found to contain methodological flaws and, in some cases, have outright falsified evidence.
CDC has been the primary source of reliable public health and medical information in the country, if not the world. Last week’s actions will likely confuse the public, and especially parents, who seek to protect their children from infectious diseases and chronic conditions that those diseases may cause.
The choice to invest further resources in search of a link between autism and vaccines detracts from the current wishes and needs of the autism community. There are dozens of potential research topics that could inspire hundreds of projects focused on community needs, personalized health care, and services that could benefit from funding.
In April, many of the same organizations signed on to this letter stood united in our call for science-based decision-making and increased investment in the research, programs, and services the autism community needs to live fully. This includes the belief that public health messaging must be grounded in science and protect all communities. We recommit ourselves to this belief today.
In line with our shared principles of science-backed communications and decision-making, we call on the CDC to revert the website to its previous version, commit to vaccine education initiatives around the country that emphasize the high-quality, scientific evidence that vaccines do not cause autism, and invest in research projects and initiatives that are responsive to the needs of autistic people and their families.
We urge public leaders, institutions, and media to uphold scientific integrity and work together to strengthen the infrastructure of support for the entire autism community.
Signed By:
- Access Ready Inc.
- Allies for Independence
- American Association on Health and Disability
- Association of University Centers on Disabilities
- Autism Science Foundation
- Autism Society of America
- Autism Speaks
- Autistic Doctors International
- Autistic People of Color Fund
- Autistic Self Advocacy Network
- Autistic Women & Nonbinary Network
- Dan Marino Foundation
- Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund (DREDF)
- Easterseals, Inc.
- Family Voices National
- Felicity House
- Hussman Institute for Autism
- Institute for Exceptional Care (IEC)
- International Council on Development and Learning (ICDL)
- Lakeshore Foundation
- Life’sPilot, Inc
- National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities
- National Association of County Behavioral Health and Developmental Disability Directors (NACBHDD)
- National PLAN Alliance
- National Respite Coalition
- Organization for Autism Research
- Profound Autism Alliance
- SPAN Parent Advocacy Network, Inc.
- The Arc of the United States
- The Autistic Self Advocacy Network
- The National Alliance to Advance Adolescent Health
- The Sibling Leadership Network (SLN)
- United Spinal Association
