Is it possible that vaccines cause autism?

Do Vaccines Cause Autism? What 2025 Experts Are Saying

Across 2025, mainstream health organizations in the U.S. have been remarkably consistent in saying that vaccines do not cause autism. Many also take it the extra step of reminding the public that vaccination remains one of the best tools we have to keep children and communities healthy.

On the Value of Scientific Consensus on Vaccines and Autism

Below, I’m sharing a sampling of recent statements. This is far from a full list, but it does represent a wide and varied cross-section of experts. Sociologically speaking, if I may, when institutions across medicine and public health all arrive at the same conclusion? Yeah that tells us something important about consensus and the social processes behind knowledge production.

Moral Panic and Autism Disinformation in 2025

Earlier in 2025, I wrote about these mechanisms in the context of the proposed U.S. Autism Registry and the government’s rhetorical claims about autism “destroying families.” In Autism Destroys Families? An Autistic Social Scientist Responds, I got into how moral panic can be used to direct the public’s attention and to justify harmful policy, all while targeting one group under the guise of protecting another.

We’re living through an era of concentrated disinformation campaigns, and many of them target academia itself, its methods and its legitimacy. (See also: Disinformation and epistemic trust for autistic people: WTF and How to Cope.) Attacks on research and scientific expertise basically function to destabilize the institutions. And when they take out higher education, young adults lose the opportunity to acquire skills that help us evaluate truth claims.

“Do your research!” (lol okay)

I mean, let’s talk social media. I’m frequently told to “do my research” by people acting like they earnestly believe that conspiracy theories are Gold Standard Science [TM]. Disinformation works because it mimics the language of evidence all while rejecting every actual mechanism humans have developed to produce reliable knowledge.

As a real, live researcher, here’s what I do when I encounter new or contradictory information: I conduct a literature review. That’s a sort of cornerstone of academic practice, because we have to start with a broad understanding of a field or topic. We don’t claim expertise outside our lane, and we take our subject areas seriously.

When something new contradicts our understandings, we circle back to the lit review. And with the vaccines make kids autistic myth, all the relevant experts have done this thoughtful process. Professional organizations can speak with authority in their fields, and in these instances they have chosen to synthesize research and issue statements on behalf of their members.

Experts on children’s health and well-being?

For sure. Let’s start with pediatricians. What do they say about the safety of kids and vaccines? The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) reports that studies have repeatedly found no credible link between life-saving childhood vaccines and autism. They also emphasize that immunizations keep children healthy so they can learn and thrive (AAP, 2025). So that sounds like +1 for vaccines and healthy kids.

Doctors for the grown folks?

Physicians more broadly say basically the same. The American Medical Association (AMA) notes that decades of scientific research show no link between vaccines and autism, and that vaccines remain safe and effective at preventing serious illness (AMA, 2025).

Public health experts?

Yep! Public health groups echo this consensus. The American Public Health Association (APHA), alongside a broad coalition of national health organizations, explains that medical researchers worldwide have spent more than 25 years examining claims that vaccines cause autism. All have reached the same conclusion: vaccines are not connected to autism, and vaccines represent one of our greatest medical success stories (APHA, 2025).

I’m out of headlines, sorry.

Let’s do everybody else though. What are the experts saying? Allied scientific bodies have weighed in. The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine state that vaccines do not cause autism, and that routine childhood vaccinations have long-established benefits in preventing illness and death (National Academies, 2025).

The National Medical Association points out that no credible scientific evidence links vaccines to autism. They highlight large, well-designed studies that show no association between the MMR vaccine and autism, and they warn that withholding vaccines puts children at risk for serious, sometimes fatal diseases (National Medical Association, 2025).

From the infectious-disease community? They’re in the house as vaccine experts, absolutely. The Infectious Diseases Society of America and allied organizations reiterate that decades of rigorous research show vaccines do not cause autism, and they characterize the recent CDC language suggesting otherwise as both false and harmful (Infectious Diseases Society of America, 2025).

Neurologists are experts of the brain, so we can check in with those folks too, shall we? The American Academy of Neurology (AAN) notes that numerous large, high-quality studies have found no association between vaccines and autism, and they call on CDC to return to guidance consistent with established evidence (AAN, 2025).

We can keep doing this, friends! Public health researchers at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health summarize at least sixteen large, well-conducted population studies from multiple countries that found no relationship between MMR vaccination, thimerosal, vaccine quantity, and autism. They conclude that the existing evidence is already compelling (Johns Hopkins Public Health, 2025). To this I add that water is wet.

There’s another report in the echoes: Johns Hopkins Center for Immunization Research similarly emphasizes that decades of sound research demonstrate no link between vaccines and autism, warning that the misleading statements currently appearing on the CDC website risk lowering vaccine uptake and increasing preventable disease (Johns Hopkins Center for Immunization Research, 2025).

Closer to home for me at present, here in Minnesota, Mayo Clinic states unequivocally that vaccines do not cause autism and notes that the old fraudulent paper suggesting a link was retracted years ago. They stress that for almost all children, the benefits of vaccination outweigh the risks, preventing severe complications, hospitalization, and death (Mayo Clinic, 2022).

International organizations say the same things and we can and should check in with them too. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) in the U.K. reports that multiple large studies involving millions of children show no evidence that vaccines cause autism, and they emphasize that vaccination remains one of the safest and most effective protections against serious disease (MHRA, 2025).

UNICEF notes that there is no evidence that autism is caused by any vaccination, including MMR, and highlights the real dangers of measles and other infections that vaccines prevent (UNICEF, 2024).

Side note: My global health research studying the well-being of women in Costa Rica uses data from UNICEF (MICS). Back on topic now.

You know what? I could keep doing this, but my dinner is getting cold. Hopefully this has been reassuring to some, and reaffirming to others. You really should “do your research” and check in with multiple sources and perspectives.

When all of the professional organizations of doctors and public health professionals plead with parents to not be persuaded away from healthcare their children need, we should notice that.

When politicians say things that contradict the consensus of the experts, we should notice that. Being able to trust what you know to be real is assaulted with the regularity of the disinformation campaigns. I’m sorry for the stress of it all, I am. But please try to confirm these important things. Stay strong, and stay connected to one another.

Because the pattern is clear across disciplines and institutions, and consensus is consistent and overwhelming.

To every researcher and physician reading this, thank you for continuing the work of care that you do. I understand why some folks choose to relocate to safer countries where scientists, health advocates (and students actually) can pursue their scholarship without threats.

For those who stay and are able to persist, who keep teaching and healing in the face of organized hostility? Thank you for your labors. Know that we are many. Solidarity always, friends.

P.S. No, vaccines do not cause autism. Tylenol does not cause autism.

Want to discuss this topic?

*There is this post on bluesky and this thread on facebook and this post on linkedin*

References

American Academy of Neurology. (2025). AAN response to CDC website changes on vaccines and autism. https://www.aan.com/advocacy/aan-response-cdc-website-changes-vaccines-autism

American Academy of Pediatrics. (2025, September 22). Fact checked: Vaccines: Safe and effective, no link to autism. https://www.aap.org/en/news-room/fact-checked/fact-checked-vaccines-safe-and-effect-no-link-to-autism/

American Medical Association. (2025, November 20). AMA statement on CDC changes to website on autism and vaccines. https://www.ama-assn.org/press-center/ama-press-releases/ama-statement-cdc-changes-website-autism-and-vaccines

American Public Health Association, Autism Speaks, Autism Science Foundation, Autism Society of America, Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs, Association of State and Territorial Health Officials, Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists, de Beaumont Foundation, EveryLife Foundation for Rare Diseases, March of Dimes, National Association of County and City Health Officials, National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners, National Coalition on Health Care, National Hispanic Medical Association, National Rural Health Association, Public Health Communications Collaborative, Safe States Alliance, Society for Public Health Education, Trust for America’s Health, Vaccinate Your Family, & YMCA of the USA. (2025, November 20). Statement from leading medical, health and patient advocacy groups on CDC autism website changes. https://www.apha.org/news-and-media/news-releases/apha-news-releases/statement-on-cdc-autism-website-changes

Infectious Diseases Society of America, HIV Medicine Association, Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America, & Society of Infectious Diseases Pharmacists. (2025, November 20). Statement on CDC’s vaccines and autism webpage. https://www.idsociety.org/news–publications-new/articles/2025/statement-on-cdcs-vaccines-and-autism-webpage/

Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. (2025, March 19). Why experts have concluded that vaccines do not cause autism. https://publichealth.jhu.edu/2025/vaccines-do-not-cause-autism

Johns Hopkins Center for Immunization Research. (2025). CDC’s new language regarding vaccines and autism: Important message from the faculty. https://centerforimmunizationresearch.org/

Mayo Clinic Health System. (2022, March 24). Link between autism and vaccination debunked. https://www.mayoclinichealthsystem.org/hometown-health/speaking-of-health/autism-vaccine-link-debunked

Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency. (2025, November 24). MHRA reaffirms safety of childhood vaccination. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/mhra-reaffirms-safety-of-childhood-vaccination

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. (2025, November 23). Statement on CDC’s changes to guidance on vaccines and autism. https://www.nationalacademies.org/news/statement-on-cdc-s-changes-to-guidance-on-vaccines-and-autism

National Medical Association. (2025, November 20). NMA statement on CDC reviving debunked link between autism and vaccines. https://nmanet.org/news/nma-statement-on-cdc-reviving-debunked-link-between-autism-and-vaccines/

UNICEF Europe and Central Asia. (2024, October 14). Yes, the MMR vaccine is safe. https://www.unicef.org/eca/stories/yes-mmr-vaccine-safe