CDC website alters vaccine information, igniting controversy
On Wednesday, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) modified its website, replacing scientific information with anti-vaccine rhetoric that suggests an unresolved link between vaccines and autism, despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary, reports BritPanorama.
New bullet points on the CDC’s homepage claim that asserting “vaccines do not cause autism” lacks evidence, as studies supposedly haven’t eliminated the possibility of a connection. However, a statement from the Autism Science Foundation underscores that substantial scientific data refutes this assertion.
According to their Thursday statement, “The science is clear that vaccines do not cause autism. No environmental factor has been better studied as a potential cause of autism than vaccines, including vaccine ingredients and the body’s response to them.”
Moreover, the updated page includes claims that studies linking vaccines and autism have been ignored by health authorities; this is also false. Numerous reputable studies have discredited such connections, with many found to be fraudulent or methodologically flawed. Conversely, credible research consistently affirms there is no causal relationship.
While the site’s main heading still asserts “Vaccines do not cause autism,” it now carries a footnote indicating this language will remain, as per an agreement with US Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. during his confirmation process. Kennedy has a history of opposing vaccines and has surrounded himself with individuals previously disciplined for unethical practices.
In a statement on Thursday, HHS spokesman Andrew Nixon noted, “We are updating the CDC’s website to reflect gold standard, evidence-based science.”
Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, who recently resigned as director of the CDC’s National Center on Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, criticized the updates as “a national embarrassment.” He further stated that the changes represent a troubling manipulation of the CDC’s authority, warning that “The weaponization of the voice of CDC is getting worse. This is a public health emergency.”
Daskalakis remarked that CDC scientists were taken aback by the revision, asserting, “This distortion of science under the CDC moniker is the reason I resigned with my colleagues.” CNN has reached out to the CDC for comment.
This latest action reflects a broader attempt by the Trump administration to shift US vaccine policies and sow doubt around vaccination efficacy. As routine childhood vaccinations drop, preventable diseases like measles and whooping cough are resurging, with the US experiencing its highest measles cases in 25 years.
The ongoing situation raises substantial concerns for public health and the integrity of scientific communication from government agencies.
