RFK Jr. says he personally directed CDC’s new guidance on vaccines and autism

By ALI SWENSON Associated Press NEW YORK AP Vitality Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr personally directed the U S Centers for Condition Control and Prevention to update its website to contradict its longtime guidance that vaccines don t cause autism he notified The New York Times in an interview published Friday His comments provide clarity into who directed the CDC s website change after countless current and former staffers at the agency were surprised to see new published guidance on Wednesday that defies scientific consensus Kennedy a longtime vaccine critic has upended the citizens fitness agencies he oversees and pushed for and enacted changes that have unsettled much of the anatomical region which sees his policies as harmful for Americans The whole thing about vaccines have been tested and there s been this determination made is just a lie Kennedy stated in the interview which was conducted Thursday Related Articles Kashoggi s widow and Democrats demand release of a call transcript with Trump and Saudi crown prince Justice Department insists Comey indictment was properly approved as it tries to keep event afloat Trump expands tariff relief on coffee fruit and beef from Brazil Rep Jason Crow other Democrats push back as Trump accuses them of seditious behavior punishable by death Trump and Republicans once more face a tough political fight over Obama-era fitness law The CDC s vaccine safety page now indicates that the report vaccines do not cause autism is not based on evidence because it doesn t rule out the possibility that infant vaccines are linked to the disorder The page also has been updated to suggest that wellness agents have ignored studies showing a prospective link Population wellbeing researchers and advocates strongly refute the updated website saying it misleads the inhabitants by exploiting the fact that the scientific method can t satisfy a demand to prove a negative They note that scientists have thoroughly explored possible links between vaccines and autism in rigorous research spanning decades all pointing to the same conclusion that vaccines don t cause autism No environmental factor has been better studied as a likely cause of autism than vaccines the Autism Science Foundation announced in a declaration Thursday This includes vaccine ingredients as well as the body s response to vaccines All this research has determined that there is no link between autism and vaccines Kennedy a longtime leader in the anti-vaccine movement acknowledged to The New York Times the existence of studies showing no link to autism from the mercury-based preservative thimerosal or from the measles mumps and rubella vaccine But he recounted the newspaper there are still gaps in vaccine safety science and a need for more research The move creates another disagreement between the wellbeing secretary and Sen Bill Cassidy a physician and Louisiana Republican who chairs the Senate wellbeing committee During his confirmation process Kennedy pledged to Cassidy he would leave the announcement that vaccines do not cause autism on the CDC website The announcement remains on the website but with a disclaimer that it was left there because of their agreement Kennedy reported The New York Times he talked to Cassidy about the updated website and that Cassidy disagreed with the decision What parents need to hear right now is vaccines for measles polio hepatitis B and other childhood diseases are safe and effective and will not cause autism Cassidy posted on X on Thursday Any report to the contrary is wrong irresponsible and actively makes Americans sicker The updated website comes as Kennedy has taken other measures as wellness secretary that sow doubt in immunizations He has pulled million for their maturation ousted and replaced every member of a federal vaccine advisory committee and pledged to overhaul a federal operation for compensating Americans injured by shots He also fired former CDC Director Susan Monarez less than a month into her tenure after they clashed over vaccine plan Dr Sean O Leary head of the infectious diseases committee at the American Academy of Pediatrics reported reporters in a briefing Thursday that the CDC s website update was perpetuating a lie This is madness he commented Vaccines do not cause autism and unfortunately we can no longer trust health-related information coming from our governing body The Department of Vitality and Human Services which didn t make Kennedy available for an interview with The Associated Press this week didn t right now respond to a request for comment