Debunked Myths Cause Real Harm: AANE Responds to the CDC’s Vaccine-Autism Change

Published: November 25, 2025

Brenda Dater, MSW, MPH
AANE Executive Director

The Association for Autism and Neurodiversity (AANE) is deeply concerned about the recent changes the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) made to its website language regarding vaccines and autism. These edits removed long-standing, evidence-based statements affirming that vaccines do not cause autism and substituted wording that implies uncertainty. No new scientific findings prompted this shift.

The scientific consensus remains absolutely clear. For more than 25 years, independent researchers across multiple countries have conducted more than 40 high-quality studies involving over 5.6 million children. Across all methods and populations, these studies reach the same conclusion:

Vaccines do not cause autism.

This position is supported widely across respected medical and public health organizations. In response to the CDC changes, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Public Health Association, the American Medical Association, the Infectious Diseases Society of America, and more than 50 additional national organizations issued clear and unequivocal affirmations of this evidence.

The myths connecting autism to the vaccine preservative thimerosal, the MMR vaccine, and the flu vaccines were discredited long ago. Claims related to thimerosal were disproven after its removal from vaccines had no impact on autism rates. The 1998 MMR study claiming there was a link between vaccines and autism was retracted and later exposed as fraudulent. Large-scale population studies, including a 2019 study of more than 650,000 children, show no association between the MMR vaccine and autism. Research on flu vaccination during pregnancy likewise demonstrates no increased autism rate.

Not only does this disinformation endanger public health by undermining confidence in life-saving vaccines and increasing the risk of deadly outbreaks of preventable diseases, it harms Autistic people in very real ways. It promotes stigma by treating autism as something to fear or prevent, instead of recognizing Autistic people as integral members of our communities. It fuels guilt and fear in families, delays diagnosis, and diverts healthcare and research resources away from what Autistic people actually need. It increases mental health stress, feeds prejudice, and pulls attention from urgent priorities such as equitable healthcare access, inclusive supports, community belonging, mental health services, and safe, meaningful opportunities across the lifespan.

AANE will continue working to ensure Autistic people and their loved ones receive the accurate information, understanding, and support essential to their well-being.