Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Lebanese Ministry of Health: Final toll from airstrike on car in Zebdine, Nabatieh District: Two martyrs, four injured
Egyptian media: Indirect talks between Hamas and Israelis begin in Sharm el-Sheikh.
AFP: France's new PM Sebastein Lecornu resigns just hours after unveiling cabinet.
Trump: Technical teams will meet again on Monday in Egypt to discuss and clarify the final details, and the first phase is scheduled to be completed this week
US President Donald Trump: Talks with Hamas have been very successful and are moving at a rapid pace
Local sources in Aleppo: Violent clashes erupt between the SDF and factions affiliated with the transitional authority on the Deir Hafer and Tishrin Dam fronts in the eastern Aleppo countryside
Israeli media: Interceptor missiles fired in an attempt to shoot down the drone
IOF Spokesperson: Sirens sounded amid suspected "enemy aircraft" infiltrating the Eilat area
Israeli media: "Israel" won the battle but lost the war strategically and politically
Israeli media: Ben Gurion Airport's airspace closed to air traffic following missile launch from Yemen

Reuters: US CDC to study vaccine-autism link

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: Reuters
  • 8 Mar 2025 14:36
4 Min Read

The CDC's decision follows one of the largest measles outbreaks in the US in the past decade, with over 200 cases and two deaths reported in Texas and New Mexico.

Listen
  • x
  • In this April 26, 2021, file photo, a nursing student administers the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine at a vaccination center at UNLV, in Las Vegas. (AP)
    In this April 26, 2021, file photo, a nursing student administers the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine at a vaccination center at UNLV, in Las Vegas. (AP)

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is preparing a large-scale study to explore potential links between vaccines and autism, Reuters reported, citing two sources familiar with the matter.

The move comes despite extensive scientific research that has already disproven or failed to find any evidence of such a connection.

The CDC's decision follows one of the largest measles outbreaks in the US in the past decade, with over 200 cases and two deaths reported in Texas and New Mexico. The outbreak has been attributed to declining vaccination rates in areas where parents have been misled into believing vaccines do more harm than good.

US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who oversees the CDC, has long expressed skepticism about the safety of the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine. Last week, during a cabinet meeting, Kennedy downplayed news of a school-aged child dying from measles in Texas, calling such outbreaks routine and omitting any mention of vaccination's role in preventing the disease.

Kennedy later published an opinion piece on Fox News, where he supported vaccination but emphasized that it should remain a personal decision, advising parents to consult with their doctors.

In a joint statement released on Friday, the CDC and the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) cited rising autism rates as the reason behind the study, with the CDC vowing to "leave no stone unturned" in its research.

Related News

WHO, EU reject Trump claim linking Tylenol use in pregnancy to autism

Trump links Tylenol use to autism, sparks medical pushback

"The American people expect high-quality research and transparency, and that is what CDC is delivering," the statement said.

Dr. Dave Weldon, President Trump's nominee for CDC director, is set for a Senate committee hearing next week. 

Dr. Wilbur Chen, a professor at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, raised concerns about the impact of such a study on public perception. "It sends the signal that there is something there that is worth investigating," potentially reinforcing the belief that vaccines are linked to autism, he explained.

Debunking the vaccine-autism link: Scientific consensus and political debate

While autism diagnoses have surged in the US since 2000, many researchers attribute this to increased screening and a broader understanding of the condition. However, some public figures have popularized the idea that vaccines are responsible, stemming from a discredited study by British researcher Andrew Wakefield in the late 1990s that falsely connected the MMR vaccine to autism.

To date, no rigorous studies have established a link between vaccines, medications, or their components—such as thimerosal or formaldehyde—and autism. Scientists largely believe that the neurological traits of autism develop in utero, with some studies linking it to maternal factors during pregnancy or complications at birth.

In a recent speech to Congress, Trump referred to the rising rates of autism among children. "So, we're going to find out what it is," he said, praising Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and others working on the issue.

The White House has not commented on the CDC's planned study. Kennedy's stance on vaccines has drawn criticism from some Republicans, including Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, who during Kennedy's confirmation hearing suggested that Kennedy should reject any claims of a link between vaccines and autism. Kennedy denied being anti-vaccine but did not acknowledge the debunked link.

This week, Cassidy also questioned Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, Trump's nominee to lead the National Institutes of Health, about investigating the potential connection between autism and childhood vaccines. "I don't generally believe there is a link, based on my reading of the literature," Bhattacharya said, adding that while the cause of the rise in autism rates remains unknown, he would support a broad scientific agenda to find an answer.

  • Autism
  • United States
  • vaccine-autism link
  • US CDC
  • Donald Trump

Most Read

Iraq at a crossroads: A new war front?

Iraq at a crossroads: A new war front?

  • West Asia
  • 30 Sep 2025
A Hamas fighter in combat fatigues stands before the ceremony for the handover of Israeli captives to the Red Cross in Nuseirat, central Gaza Strip, Saturday, February 22, 2025 (AP)

Hamas responds to Trump plan, backs Gaza withdrawal, exchange

  • Politics
  • 3 Oct 2025
Tucker Carlson speaks at a memorial for Charlie Kirk, Sunday, September 21, 2025, at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona (AP)

Tucker Carlson: Israeli officers gave orders on Iran inside Pentagon

  • Politics
  • 2 Oct 2025
ap

'Israel' pays influencers $7K per post to whitewash Gaza genocide

  • Politics
  • 1 Oct 2025

Coverage

All
War on Gaza

Read Next

All
Hezbollah's representative in Iran, Sayyed Abdullah Safieddine, during an interview with Al Mayadeen which aired on October 6, 2025 (Al Mayadeen)
Politics

Tehran never interferes in Hezbollah decisions: Representative in Iran

Smoke billows over the Gaza Strip following an Israeli bombardment, as seen from southern Palestine, Sunday, Oct. 5, 2025. (AP)
Politics

Indirect talks for a ceasefire in Gaza begin in Sharm El-Sheikh: Egypt

Fighters from the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) prepare to attend a military parad in Qamishli, northeastern Syria, Tuesday, August 12, 2025 (AP)
Politics

Security forces seal Aleppo’s Sheikh Maqsoud, Ashrafieh districts

Amsterdam Captain Mohammed Ali Mohiuddin, who took part in the Global Sumud mission to Gaza, talks to Al Mayadeen on October 6, 2025 (Screengrab)
Politics

GSF captain says despite abuse, 'Israel weaker than spider's web'

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS