Kennedy Launches Autism Cause Study Amid Vaccine Debate/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced a sweeping research initiative to identify the cause of autism by September. The project, endorsed by President Trump, revives vaccine-autism theories long debunked by science. Autism advocacy groups and health experts warn the move risks undermining decades of evidence-based research.
HHS Autism Study Plan: Quick Looks
- Health and Human Services will lead a national autism cause study.
- Robert F. Kennedy Jr. says results expected by September.
- The effort involves hundreds of scientists, though exact details remain unclear.
- President Trump echoed vaccine-autism theories during a Cabinet meeting.
- Scientific consensus: vaccines do not cause autism.
- NIH already spends $300+ million annually on autism research.
- Leading groups like Autism Speaks and ASA were not consulted.
- Concerns raised over rehashing discredited vaccine theories.
- David Geier, a controversial figure linked to past misconduct, is reportedly involved.
- Experts warn of public health risks and misinformation if false claims resurface.
Kennedy Launches Autism Cause Study Amid Vaccine Debate
Deep Look
WASHINGTON — In a dramatic and controversial announcement, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said Thursday that the federal government will launch a “massive testing and research effort” aimed at identifying the root cause of autism — with results expected as early as September.
The initiative, shared during a televised Cabinet meeting with President Donald Trump, has stirred immediate pushback from health professionals and autism advocacy groups, who warn that it could revive long-disproven claims that vaccines are responsible for the developmental condition.
“There’s got to be something artificial out there that’s doing this,” Trump said, suggesting that food, medicine, or vaccinations may be to blame. “If you can come up with that answer… maybe it’s a shot.”
A Renewed Focus or a Reversal?
Autism is widely understood to be a neurodevelopmental disorder rooted in genetic factors, with possible environmental contributions — none of which include routine childhood vaccines, according to decades of research by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), World Health Organization, and National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Despite this, Kennedy — a known vaccine skeptic — is reigniting a debate that many experts believed had been settled.
He provided no details about the study’s structure, funding, or lead researchers, but claimed it would engage hundreds of scientists. One controversial appointment has already drawn fire: David Geier, who has been discredited for unauthorized medical treatments and who has long promoted the vaccine-autism theory, is reportedly part of the project. Geier was previously barred from practicing medicine in Maryland.
Scientific Community Alarmed
The move has blindsided autism advocacy groups. According to Kristyn Roth, a spokesperson for the Autism Society of America, the administration never consulted with key stakeholders.
“There is a deep concern that we are going backward and evaluating debunked theories,” Roth said.
The NIH already allocates over $300 million annually toward autism research. Current science points to genetic predispositions, prenatal exposure to environmental toxins, low birth weight, and parental age as possible contributing factors — but no link has been found between vaccines and autism.
Misunderstanding the Increase in Diagnoses
Both Kennedy and Trump cited rising autism diagnosis rates as a justification for the probe. However, health experts note the increase reflects expanded definitions, improved screening, and greater awareness, particularly among Black and Hispanic children who were historically underdiagnosed.
“Autism spectrum disorder” now includes a broad range of mild to severe presentations, not just profound developmental challenges.
Echoes of a Retracted Study
Much of the vaccine-autism myth stems from a 1998 study published in The Lancet, which was later fully retracted for ethical violations and fraudulent data. Subsequent large-scale studies around the world have repeatedly refuted any connection between vaccines and autism.
Despite this, Kennedy continues to assert a potential link and has built a following around vaccine skepticism, most recently during his own 2024 presidential campaign and now as a top official in Trump’s second-term Cabinet.
Federal Officials Remain Silent
HHS has not released official documentation on how the autism research initiative will be conducted, and multiple inquiries for comment have gone unanswered. That silence has further fueled concern from the medical community, which fears the project may politicize public health and undermine trust in vaccines — especially amid ongoing global health threats.
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