A child plays with a slide toy at a school in Somalia.

By Michael Mashburn From Daily Voice

New York health leaders sharply condemned a major shift in federal vaccine messaging this week, accusing the CDC of promoting misinformation by implying there is still uncertainty about whether infant vaccines cause autism.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Wednesday, Nov. 19, updated its website to say that the long-standing claim “vaccines do not cause autism” is not supported by evidence.

CDC officials argue that studies have “not ruled out the possibility that infant vaccines cause autism,” and note a rise in autism diagnoses alongside an expanded childhood vaccine schedule since 1986.

“Correlation does not prove causation, but it does merit further study,” the CDC website says.

NY Health Commissioner Pushes Back

State officials responded forcefully. In a joint statement Thursday, Nov. 20, New York State Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald, a pediatrician, and Office for People With Developmental Disabilities Commissioner Willow Baer called the CDC’s new guidance “inconsistent with decades of scientific evidence.”

McDonald said there is “no evidence that vaccines cause autism,” adding that vaccines used in the United States are rigorously tested and continuously monitored for safety.

McDonald said the stakes are life-and-death.

“What is clear is that vaccine-preventable diseases cause serious illness, hospitalization and death,” he said, calling those outcomes “particularly tragic because they are preventable.”

“As a pediatrician, public health expert, and New York State Health Commissioner, I strongly support the current childhood vaccine schedule, McDonald said.

Advocacy Groups Sound Alarm

Advocacy groups echoed the alarm. The nonprofit Let’s Get Immunized New York accused the CDC of “sowing doubt” about the safety and efficacy of vaccines.

The Autism Science Foundation (ASF), based in New York, described the new CDC page as “anti-vaccine rhetoric and lies.” ASF President Alison Singer said the update disregards the best available evidence, adding, “The facts don’t change because the administration does.”

ASF Chief Science Officer Dr. Alycia Halladay said research into a vaccine-autism link is settled. “We have dozens and dozens of studies, including studies of infants, and they are clear and conclusive,” she said. “Vaccines don’t cause autism.”

Autism Science Foundation Cites Genetics

The organization went on to state that autism is a complex neurodevelopmental condition primarily influenced by genetics. 

Roughly 20% of cases can be tied to a single genetic variant, ASF said. Other factors associated with autism risk include prematurity, advanced parental age, maternal metabolic disorders, exposure to high levels of air pollution during pregnancy, and infectious illnesses such as rubella, influenza, pertussis, COVID-19, and RSV—many of which are preventable through vaccines.

Federal Officials Defend Update

Federal officials argue the CDC’s updated language complies with the Data Quality Act, which requires agencies to provide information that is objective and accurate.

The changes reflect the priorities of the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement, a coalition led by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

President Donald Trump created the MAHA Commission at the start of his second term to study increases in childhood chronic conditions. The commission, chaired by Kennedy, has been tasked with examining factors ranging from social media to diet, environmental exposures, and prescription medications.