CDC suggests vaccines may cause autism, contradicting decades of research

( Yahoo )

The CDC updated its website yesterday to suggest a link between vaccines and autism and cast doubt on decades of research showing that vaccines are safe. “‘Vaccines do not cause autism’ is not an evidence-based claim,” it now reads.

What we know: Autism is a developmental disability that causes various symptoms. Research shows that genetics, as well as environmental factors — like prenatal exposure to pollution or parental age — may play a role, but not vaccines. The 1998 study that linked child vaccines to autism was retracted in 2010. [CBS News]

Response: The move sparked criticism from doctors and public health officials. Philip Huang, director of the Dallas County health department, said the federal government’s messaging “is not science-based,” while some of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s supporters hailed the change. [USA Today]

Looking forward: The CDC’s vaccine advisory committee is expected to vote next month on whether to change the hepatitis B childhood vaccine schedule, two months after it tabled a vote to recommend delaying vaccinations of the incurable infection in newborns. [NBC News]