Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has confirmed he instructed the CDC to alter its website regarding vaccines and autism. The revised language now suggests scientific uncertainty about a potential connection, a departure from the agency's previous definitive statement that no link exists. Kennedy, a longtime skeptic of federal vaccine safety assurances, argued that an absolute denial is misleading, though he stated he does not personally assert vaccines cause autism.
This change has provoked strong objections from medical experts. Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, a former CDC division director, labeled the revision a national embarrassment and cautioned against relying on the agency's advice. The National Institutes of Health and broader scientific community maintain that autism stems from genetic and environmental factors, not vaccines. Kennedy lacks a formal medical or scientific background.
This change has provoked strong objections from medical experts. Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, a former CDC division director, labeled the revision a national embarrassment and cautioned against relying on the agency's advice. The National Institutes of Health and broader scientific community maintain that autism stems from genetic and environmental factors, not vaccines. Kennedy lacks a formal medical or scientific background.
