FACT CHECK #RLS1-N7U

WHAT WE FOUND

Hi there! It is completely natural to want the very best for your family’s health, but I have some very reassuring news to share with you. Extensive scientific research and decades of study have consistently shown that vaccines do not cause autism 1 14. While you may have seen reports about the CDC website being updated in late 2025 to cast doubt on this fact, major medical groups like the American Academy of Pediatrics and the National Medical Association have clarified that these changes are not evidence-based and distort established science 3 9 10. Experts explain that the original claims linking the two were based on critically flawed studies that have been thoroughly debunked 4 11. It is true that the timing of an autism diagnosis often coincides with the recommended vaccine schedule, but health organizations like Autism Speaks note that this is a matter of timing rather than a cause-and-effect relationship 2. Organizations including the Mayo Clinic, Johns Hopkins University, and the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia continue to affirm that vaccines are a safe and vital tool for keeping children healthy and protected 4 13 14. Despite recent political shifts or revised messaging on some government pages, the global scientific consensus remains firm: there is no link between vaccines and autism 5 12.

SOURCES

1. 1 · aap.orgFACT-CHECKER
   Fact Checked: Vaccines: Safe and Effective, No Link to Autism - AAP

   TIER A

2. 2 · autismspeaks.orgWEB
   Do vaccines cause autism? - Autism Speaks

   TIER B

3. 3 · factcheck.orgFACT-CHECKER
   Revised CDC Website About Autism and Vaccines Is Not Evidence ...

   TIER A

4. 4 · chop.eduACADEMIC
   Vaccines and autism | Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

   TIER A

5. 5 · pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.govACADEMIC
   Vaccination as a cause of autism—myths and controversies - PMC

   TIER A

6. 6 · politifact.comFACT-CHECKER
   Viral image perpetuates misconception that vaccines cause autism

   TIER A

7. 7 · snopes.comFACT-CHECKER
   12 rumors about autism that Snopes has investigated

   TIER A

8. 8 · cdc.govACADEMIC
   Autism and Vaccines - CDC

   TIER A

9. 9 · nmanet.orgACADEMIC
   NMA Statement on CDC Reviving Debunked Link Between Autism ...

   TIER A

10. 10 · autismsciencefoundation.orgACADEMIC
    CDC's New Autism Webpage Distorts Science and Rejects Decades ...

    TIER A

11. 11 · npr.orgACADEMIC
    The CDC revives debunked 'link' between childhood vaccines and ...

    TIER A

12. 12 · bmj.comACADEMIC
    CDC website altered to suggest possible link between vaccines and ...

    TIER A

13. 13 · publichealth.jhu.eduACADEMIC
    Why Experts Have Concluded That Vaccines Do Not Cause Autism

    TIER A

14. 14 · mayoclinichealthsystem.orgACADEMIC
    Autism-vaccine link debunked - Mayo Clinic Health System

    TIER A