CDC Changes Autism-Vaccine Website Language After RFK’s Instruction

The CDC’s recent revision to its vaccine safety webpage includes updated language that now suggests a possible link between vaccines and autism. 

What Changed on the CDC Website

On November 19, 2025, the CDC’s vaccine safety page was updated. Previously, it stated clearly that "no links have been found between any vaccine ingredients and Autism spectrum disorder."

The revised page 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."

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has publicly acknowledged that he personally instructed the CDC to change its vaccine safety webpage to reflect doubts about the claim that vaccines do not cause autism, citing gaps in vaccine safety research despite overwhelming scientific consensus to the contrary.

On the CDC webpage, an asterisk now notes that the "header ‘Vaccines do not cause autism’ has not been removed due to an agreement with the chair of the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee that it would remain on the CDC website."

• Multiple medical and public health organizations have condemned this change, emphasizing that it introduces confusion and doubt while ignoring the robust body of evidence showing no causal link between vaccines and autism. Career scientists within the CDC were reportedly not consulted about the webpage change.
• The Autism Science Foundation issued a statement saying they "are appalled to find that the content on the CDC webpage ‘Autism and Vaccines’ has been changed and distorted, and is now filled with anti-vaccine rhetoric and outright lies about vaccines and autism."

 

What the Science Says

Despite the CDC's revised language, rigorous scientific research consistently finds no link between vaccines and autism. 

• A landmark Danish study published in July 2025 by Statens Serum Institut analyzed health outcomes in over one million children born between 1997 and 2018. This population-based research found no association between childhood vaccines (including those with aluminum adjuvants) and increased risk of autism, asthma, or autoimmune diseases. According to principal investigator Anders Hviid, the study "is the first study of this scale and with such comprehensive analyses, and it confirms the strong safety profile of the vaccines we’ve used for decades in Denmark."
• An earlier 24-year Danish study of more than 1.2 million children also found no tie between aluminum-adjuvanted vaccines and neurodevelopmental conditions such as autism. 
• Comprehensive reviews (for example by the U.S. National Academy of Medicine) and multiple large-scale epidemiologic studies have repeatedly failed to demonstrate a causal link between vaccines (including the MMR vaccine) and autism. 
• What the CDC’s revised language emphasizes ("studies have not ruled out the possibility") reflects a philosophical nuance that no study can ever prove 100%, but from a practical clinical and public-health standpoint.

The original claim linking the MMR vaccine to autism largely comes from a now-retracted and widely discredited 1998 Lancet study, which was exposed as fraudulent and led to the author losing his medical license.

In short: the weight of evidence supports the safety of vaccination with respect to autism risk. Nurses should feel confident in conveying that to patients and families.

​Potential Impact on Nurses and Patient Care

This language change could directly affect nurse-patient communication, vaccine confidence, and public trust. Nurses are often at the forefront of patient education, particularly regarding immunization safety. The new CDC wording may lead to more vaccine hesitancy, challenging nurses to address increased concerns from parents and caregivers who rely on CDC guidance for credible information.​

Nurses may also experience heightened stress when trying to reconcile their training and professional knowledge with conflicting official messaging. This inconsistency can undermine both patient trust and the authority nurses hold in delivering evidence-based care.​

Nurses play a critical role in safeguarding community health. Staying informed and communicating clearly remain essential, especially as confusing changes in official messaging can ripple through public perception.

Nurses should continue to advocate for safer, science-based public health practices despite shifting language on official websites.​

🤔 Nurses: what do you think about this change? Let us know in the discussion forum below.