CDC Revision of Vaccine Safety & Autism Information Prompts Alarm

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently revised one of its nine web pages on Common Vaccine Safety Questions and Concerns.  The CDC Autism and Vaccines page now states “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. … This webpage will be updated with gold-standard science that results from the HHS comprehensive assessment of the causes of autism as required by the DQA [Data Quality Act; aka Information Quality Act; Pub. L. No. 106-554, Appendix C, Title V, § 515, 114 Stat. 2763A-153, 12/31/2000].”  Numerous physician and scientific organizations have responded with alarm.  The Presidents of the National Academy of Sciences and National Academy of Medicine disputed CDC assessment of National Academies vaccine safety reports, saying “we support the statement that vaccines do not cause autism.”  The American Academy of Pediatrics, Autism Science Foundation, and 68 other medical and patient advocacy organizations issued a joint statement declaring the CDC “is promoting the outdated, disproven idea that vaccines cause autism. … This false rumor distracts from pressing, urgent issues in children’s health. … Vaccines rank among our greatest medical success stories. … We call on the CDC to return to its long history of promoting evidence-based information in the service of protecting the health and well-being of all Americans.”