Statement from leading medical, health and patient advocacy groups on CDC autism website changes

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Media Relations

Our organizations, representing autistic individuals, their families, medical professionals and public health workers, are alarmed that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is promoting the outdated, disproven idea that vaccines cause autism.

Medical researchers across the globe have spent more than 25 years thoroughly studying this claim. All have come to the same conclusion: Vaccines are not linked to autism.

This false rumor distracts from pressing, urgent issues in children’s health. Amplifying this claim and encouraging unnecessary investigations only worsens parents’ fears; it will not lead to better therapies, improved support for caregiving families, or changes in health care, education, and society in ways that would help children with autism thrive. Rather than devoting needed resources right now to support people with autism and their families in every community, our taxpayer-funded health agencies are using public resources to spread harmful rumors. Autistic people are valued members of society and, like all of us, deserve research that helps health care and other systems address genuine needs. 

Today, our organizations reject this latest attempt to create fear around routine childhood immunizations. Vaccines rank among our greatest medical success stories. Thanks to vaccines, serious diseases that once made thousands sick every year and caused life-long health issues have become rare. We cannot risk losing this progress. Together, we call on the CDC to return to its long history of promoting evidence-based information in the service of protecting the health and well-being of all Americans . 

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• American Academy of Pediatrics 
• Academic Pediatric Association 
• AcademyHealth 
• Alanas Foundation 
• American Academy of Family Physicians 
• American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy 
• American College of Physicians 
• American Families for Vaccines 
• American Medical Association 
• American Pediatric Society 
• American Pharmacists Association 
• American Public Health Association 
• America's Physician Groups 
• Association for Professionals in Infection Control & Epidemiology 
• Autism Science Foundation 
• Autism Society of America 
• Autistic Self Advocacy Network 
• Big Cities Health Coalition 
• CDC Alumni and Friends Network 
• Common Health Coalition 
• Defend Public Health 
• Doctors for America 
• EXCITE 
• Families Fighting Flu 
• Families USA 
• Gerontological Society of America 
• Health Equity Community Collaborative 
• Health in Partnership 
• Hematology/Oncology Pharmacy Association 
• Hepatitis B Foundation 
• Infectious Diseases Society of America 
• Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health 
• International Vaccine Access Center 
• National Alliance of State Pharmacy Associations 
• National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners
• Partnership to Fight Infectious Disease 
• Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society 
• Public Health Foundation 
• Public Health Institute 
• Public Health Law Center 
• Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine 
• Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) 
• Society for Pediatric Research 
• The Arc of the United States 
• The Task Force for Global Health 
• Trusted Messenger Program 
• Vaccinate Your Family

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The American Public Health Association champions optimal, equitable health and well-being for all. With our broad-based member community and 150-year perspective, we influence federal policy to improve the public’s health. Learn more at www.apha.org.