Changes to CDC Website Raise Concerns Over Vaccine Messaging

On November 20, 2025, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated its website, replacing scientific information with anti-vaccine rhetoric that suggests a potential link between vaccines and autism. This change has sparked significant controversy, as it contradicts the overwhelming scientific consensus that vaccines do not cause autism.

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The revised CDC webpage includes bullet points stating that the claim "vaccines do not cause autism" is not evidence-based, implying that studies have not definitively ruled out a connection. However, the Autism Science Foundation has responded, asserting that extensive research has consistently shown no causal relationship between vaccines and autism. The foundation emphasized that vaccines have been the most studied environmental factor concerning autism, with credible studies disproving any link.

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The page retains the header "Vaccines do not cause autism," but now includes an asterisk directing readers to a footnote. This footnote references a commitment made by U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to Senator Bill Cassidy, which ensures that the statement remains on the CDC website. Cassidy, a Republican physician from Louisiana, has been a supporter of anti-vaccine sentiments.

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Andrew Nixon, a spokesperson for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), stated that the CDC is updating its website to reflect "gold standard, evidence-based science." In stark contrast, Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, who recently resigned as director of the CDC’s National Center on Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, criticized the changes as a "national embarrassment." He expressed that the scientific community at the CDC was blindsided by the update, labeling it a distortion of science.

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Daskalakis further described the situation as a public health emergency, highlighting the broader implications of undermining vaccine confidence. He noted that the alterations to the CDC's messaging are part of a trend under the Trump administration to challenge established vaccine policies, which has coincided with a decline in routine childhood vaccinations in the U.S. This decline has led to a resurgence of preventable diseases, including measles and whooping cough.

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The CDC's updated messaging comes at a time when the United States is experiencing its highest number of measles cases in 25 years. Health officials have warned that the country's status as a nation that has eliminated continuous measles spread is at risk due to rising case numbers. The changes to the CDC website may further exacerbate vaccine hesitancy, potentially leading to increased outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases.

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• “This distortion of science under the CDC moniker is the reason I resigned with my colleagues,” — Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, former director of the CDC’s National Center on Immunization and Respiratory Diseases.

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• “The weaponization of the voice of CDC is getting worse. This is a public health emergency,” — Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, former director of the CDC’s National Center on Immunization and Respiratory Diseases.

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