FALSE

The claim that vaccines cause autism has been extensively debunked by decades of international scientific research 4, 12. Major medical and government institutions, including the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the Mayo Clinic, state definitively that vaccines do not cause autism 1, 8. The original study suggesting a link was retracted after investigations revealed that the data was flawed and that some children in the study exhibited signs of autism prior to vaccination 7, 10. Large-scale analyses of more than 1.2 million children found no link between vaccines and autism spectrum disorder 11, 12. While the CDC recently updated its website language to reflect specific federal data standards regarding certain phrasing 3, the National Medical Association (NMA) and other medical experts maintain there is no credible scientific evidence demonstrating a causal link 4, 7. Research indicates that autism is a complex disorder likely caused by genetic and environmental influences, but vaccines are not a contributing factor 1, 6.