Washington, D.C., April 14, 2025 – Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ignited a firestorm on April 14 by claiming that studies on autism and vaccines are flawed because they never compared vaccinated to unvaccinated children. Speaking at a press conference following his announcement of a new HHS autism study, Kennedy asserted, “They never looked at the vaccinated versus unvaccinated group—which is the only way you can make the determination.” He also claimed that 14 studies were deemed invalid by the National Academy of Sciences and that vaccines given in the first six months of life were never studied, attributing autism’s rise to an environmental “cataclysm.”
Kennedy’s statements have drawn sharp criticism from the scientific community. The National Academy of Medicine’s 2004 report, supported by over a dozen studies, concluded there is no link between vaccines and autism—a finding reaffirmed by a 2019 Danish study of 537,303 children, which found no difference in autism rates between vaccinated and unvaccinated groups, per University of Pennsylvania expert Jeffrey S. Morris. The Autism Science Foundation and CDC emphasize that genetic and prenatal factors, not vaccines, are the primary contributors to autism.
Kennedy’s claim about unstudied early vaccines is also inaccurate. A 2015 study in Pharmacoepidemiology and Drug Safety found no link between early vaccinations, like the hepatitis B shot, and neurodevelopmental disorders. His reference to the National Academy of Sciences invalidating 14 studies appears to misrepresent their critiques of methodological limitations, not a blanket dismissal of vaccine safety research.
Public reaction on X is deeply divided. Supporters like
@Jordan_Sather_ hailed Kennedy’s claims as evidence of a cover-up, while critics accused him of spreading misinformation, citing the scientific consensus. Kennedy’s history of promoting discredited theories, including citing a flawed 2025 paper by Anthony Mawson during his confirmation hearings, has fueled distrust. Alison Singer of the Autism Science Foundation warned that Kennedy’s focus could divert resources from legitimate autism research and increase vaccine hesitancy, a concern heightened by recent measles outbreaks.
The new HHS study, led by controversial figure David Geier, has drawn further scrutiny for its potential to undermine public health efforts. As of April 14, Kennedy’s insistence that “everything is on the table” clashes with decades of settled science, raising fears of renewed skepticism about vaccine safety. While Kennedy aims to address autism’s environmental causes, his approach risks reigniting a debunked debate at a critical time.
