Topline
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. personally ordered the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to change its stance on a possible relationship between autism and vaccines, he said in an interview Friday, prompting the agency to edit its website to suggest there could be a link between vaccines and autism.
U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speaks during a discussion at The Official MAHA Summit at Waldorf Astoria Hotel on November 12, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)
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Key Facts
The website now says “the claim ‘vaccines do not cause autism’ is not an evidence-based claim because studies have not ruled out the possibility that infant vaccines cause autism.”
Kennedy told The New York Times he instructed the agency to revise the language, arguing in the interview that there is not enough science proving there is no link.
The site still includes the statement “vaccines do not cause autism,” but with an asterisk that notes the statement has not been removed pursuant to an agreement Kennedy struck with Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., the chair of the Senate Health Committee, to secure his vote to confirm Kennedy as HHS secretary.
The site also says, “studies supporting a link have been ignored by health authorities” and “HHS has launched a comprehensive assessment of the causes of autism, including investigations on plausible biologic mechanisms and potential casual links.”
Kennedy acknowledged to The Times there are legitimate large-scale studies proving no link between the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine and autism, but said there’s a lack of scientific evidence proving there is no link between autism and other infant vaccines, including for hepatitis B and whooping cough.
Crucial Quote
“The whole thing about ‘vaccines have been tested and there’s been this determination made’ is just a lie,” Kennedy told The Times, adding “the phrase ‘vaccines do not cause autism’ is not supported by science.”
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Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/saradorn/2025/11/21/rfk-jr-told-cdc-to-change-language-about-vaccines-and-autism-on-cdc-site/


