Trump's CDC plans major study relitigating vaccination-autism conspiracy theory: report

The Trump administration's Centers for Disease Control and Prevention plan to launch a major new study investigating a link between vaccination and autism, reported Reuters on Friday.

Hundreds of such studies have already been conducted into this idea, finding no link of any sort between vaccines and neurodivergent traits in children. The idea, however, persists as a conspiracy theory and side industry of potentially dangerous alternative treatments, fueled in part by an infamous British study by former physician Andrew Wakefield that was found to have fraudulently manipulated data.

Part of the reason the theory has persisted is that autism diagnoses have risen sharply in the past several decades. Researchers suspect two actual factors for this include changes to the age at which people have children, and more effective screening that identifies cases that previously would have been unreported.

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Some medical experts warned Reuters that the CDC's legitimization of the long-discredited theory could increase vaccination fears in the general public and a decline in pediatric vaccination rates.

"It sends the signal that there is something there that is worth investigating, so that means there must be something going on between vaccines and autism," said Dr. Wilbur Chen, who teaches at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who was recently confirmed as Trump's Secretary of Health and Human Services, has promoted conspiracy theories about vaccine safety for years, though, the report noted, it is unclear whether he has a role in ordering this study.

"In a cabinet meeting last week, Kennedy initially downplayed news that a school-aged child had died of measles in Texas, the first such death in a decade, calling such outbreaks ordinary and failing to mention the role of vaccination to prevent measles. Over the weekend, Kennedy published an opinion piece on Fox News that promoted the role of vaccination, but also told parents vaccination was a personal choice and urged them to consult with their physician."

Trump, who proclaimed in this week's address to Congress that "we're going to find out" what is causing the increase in autism diagnoses, is also appointing former Florida Congressman Dr. Dave Weldon to head the CDC, who has promoted anti-vaccine conspiracy theories as well. His confirmation hearing is set for next week.