- The CDC will conduct research to determine if there is any link between childhood vaccinations and autism risk.
- Health experts have long said there is no substantial scientific evidence to connect vaccines with autism.
- Various factors may impact autism risk, with genetics being one of the strongest.
- Childhood vaccinations are generally considered safe and reduce the spread of infectious diseases like measles.
- Following routine vaccinations helps populations develop “herd immunity” to protect those who can’t receive vaccinations.
Despite a unanimous scientific consensus, health experts are once again defending the safety of childhood vaccines and so-called autism risk.
Health and Human Services (HHS) officials led by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., recently confirmed that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will investigate whether vaccines cause autism. The public health announcement reignited a longstanding debate over a theory lacking substantial scientific evidence.
“As President Trump said in his Joint Address to Congress, the rate of autism in American children has skyrocketed. CDC will leave no stone unturned in its mission to figure out what exactly is happening,” a department statement said. “The American people expect high quality research and transparency and that is what CDC is delivering.”
Experts told Healthline there have been multitudes of reputable studies on the topic over the past 20 years, and none have established a definitive link between autism and childhood vaccines.
“The scientific community has researched this very thoroughly and there’s no evidence that childhood vaccine cause autism,” said Danelle Fisher, MD, a pediatrician at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, CA.
“Scientists from around the world have approached this question in several different ways and none has found a relationship,” added Bryan King, MD, vice chair for child psychiatry and a professor in the school of medicine at the University of California San Francisco. “Scientists have also looked at whether different preservatives in vaccines could have an effect and none exists.”
Experts reaffirmed the importance of children receiving their scheduled vaccinations to prevent infectious and potentially deadly illnesses like measles from spreading. The growing measles outbreak that began in western Texas in January has been linked to low childhood vaccination rates.
“In some ways, we are victims of our success when it comes to vaccines,” King said. “They can be so successful in preventing severe illness and death that we can lose sight of why we need or want to be protected from those potentially devastating diseases. We forget how devastating those diseases are.”
King and other experts noted that vaccinating the majority of children can help protect children who can’t receive vaccines because they are undergoing cancer treatment or have compromised immune systems.
“We need to cocoon these kids,” said Gina Posner, MD, a pediatrician at MemorialCare Medical Group in Fountain Valley, CA.
“It is incumbent upon everyone to be good community members,” added Fisher.
Facts about autism
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a broad term used to describe a group of neurodevelopmental conditions.
The conditions generally affect communication and social interaction. People on the autism spectrum often demonstrate restricted and repetitive interests or patterns of behavior, and language skills are often delayed in children.
The degree to which a person falls on the autism spectrum may vary greatly from person to person. Five subtypes of autism have been identified.
Most people are diagnosed with autism as children, but adults are sometimes diagnosed as well.
Some symptoms of autism may include:
- repetitive movements such as rocking or arm flapping
- lining up objects such as toys in a strict order
- repeating words and phrases over and over again
- becoming upset over minor changes in routines
- delayed movement, language, or cognitive skills
- excessive worry or stress
- unusual levels of fear (either higher or lower than expected)
- hyperactive, inattentive, or impulsive behaviors
- unexpected emotional reactions
- unusual eating habits or preferences
- unusual sleep patterns
- self-stimulating behaviors, known as “stimming“
Experts say early intervention when children are young can help ease symptoms and help autistic people improve their quality of life.
“Early intervention is amazing,” Posner told Healthline. Some early intervention therapies for autism may include:
- discrete trial training to encourage step-by-step learning
- early intensive behavior intervention with one-on-one therapy sessions that help children under 5
- verbal behavioral interventions
- positive behavior support
- cognitive behavioral therapy
- social skills training
- sensory integration therapy
- occupational therapy
- speech therapy
- medication (i.e., antipsychotics, antidepressants, or stimulants)
How prevalent is autism?
President Donald Trump and HHS Secretary RFK Jr. have quoted figures saying autism rates in the United States have skyrocketed from 1 in 10,000 children in 2000 to 1 in 36 children today. The 1 in 10,000 number appears to come from a single study in the 1960s.
The CDC reports that autism rates have more likely increased from 1 in 150 children in 2000 to 1 in 36 today.
The agency also notes that an autism diagnosis is four times more common in boys than it is in girls.
Experts note they believe the increase in autism rates in the past two decades is due to better diagnosis of the condition. King points out that vaccination rates have not increased in the past 10 years while the rate of autism diagnoses has gone up.
“The rate of autism is as much as it’s always been. Now, it’s just identified better,” Fisher told Healthline.
“A lot of it is we are better at diagnosing,” added Posner.
King added that “the definition of autism now includes a broader spectrum, which may partially explain the increase in prevalence over earlier estimates.”
Possible causes of autism
If vaccines don’t cause autism, then what does?
Experts say there are probably a multitude of factors behind the development of autism, but they say the number one reason is most likely genetics, noting that autism tends to be more common in some families than in others.
In 2023, researchers reported they had identified seven genes linked to an increased risk of autism.
When introducing their research results, they also noted that prior research has estimated that 50% of genetic risk can be predicted by common genetic variation, and another 15% to 20% is due to spontaneous mutations or predictable inheritance patterns.
“None of the hundreds of genes that contribute to the risk for autism is specific, that is, that a so-called autism gene always or only leads to autism,” King told Healthline.
“But these genes disrupt the usual development or function of pathways in the brain in ways that significantly increase autism risk. The timing of these effects begins before birth, so as scientists look for causes of autism, the focus is on genes or environmental exposures that occur long before children are receiving immunizations,” he added.
Experts said that children of older parents tend to have higher autism risks due to the aging of sperm and eggs. A 2020 study determined that children born to older parents have a 50% higher risk of autism.
Posner added there is also evidence that premature infants have higher autism risks, as do children born to mothers with gestational diabetes.
“You can’t specifically point to one cause,” said Fisher. “No two autistic kids are the same.”
Takeaway
Officials at the CDC announced they will study whether childhood vaccines are a potential cause of autism.
Experts say there have been a multitude of scientific studies done on this subject over the past 20 years, and none have concluded that vaccinations are linked to autism risk.
Genetics is likely a top factor for autism risk. Children born to older parents, as well as those born prematurely or to mothers with gestational diabetes, may also have higher risks.
Children should continue to follow their recommended immunization schedules to prevent the spread of disease as well as to protect children who can’t receive vaccines.
CDC Will Study Whether Vaccines Cause Autism, Despite Scientific Consensus
Source: Pinoy Lang Sakalam
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