The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is set to investigate a potential link between vaccines and autism. This decision follows a request from Trump administration officials, as reported by The Washington Post. The announcement came shortly after President Donald Trump addressed Congress, highlighting the increasing rate of autism in the U.S., citing CDC data that indicates 1 in 36 children are affected.
According to Reuters, two sources within the CDC confirmed plans for this study. Both the CDC and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued a statement saying: "As President Trump said in his Joint Address to Congress, the rate of autism in American children has skyrocketed. CDC will leave no stone unturned in its mission to figure out what exactly is happening. The American people expect high quality research and transparency and that is what CDC is delivering."
President Trump also mentioned HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s role in leading efforts to understand this increase, stating, "There’s something wrong...there’s nobody better than Bobby [Kennedy] and all of the people that are working with you."
The Washington Post noted that it remains unclear if Kennedy will be directly involved in the study. However, HHS oversees federal health agencies like the CDC.
Children’s Health Defense senior research scientist Karl Jablonowski welcomed the study, noting a significant rise in autism since the 1990s. Sayer Ji from Global Wellness Forum called it a "pivotal moment" for vaccine safety exploration.
Biologist Christina Parks emphasized examining cumulative vaccine effects on children's immune systems as part of this study. Brian Hooker from CHD suggested using an unvaccinated control group for more comprehensive results.
Ji remarked on previous studies' flaws due to selective reporting and lack of transparency, advocating for open access to government data as a step toward accountability.
While some experts express concern about potential impacts on public trust in vaccines, others argue that transparency could restore confidence if vaccines are proven safe.
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