Long Beach health officials and local doctors are countering claims from the Trump administration related to a supposed link between autism and vaccines. On November 19, the CDC’s website suggested that the claim “vaccines do not cause autism” is not evidence-based, leading local officials to assert on social media that “vaccines DO NOT cause autism.”
The controversy stems from a discredited study by Dr. Andrew Wakefield published in 1998, which falsely linked vaccines to autism and was retracted in 2010 for ethical violations. Despite the retraction, anti-vaccine rhetoric persists, notably amplified by figures such as Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who lacks a medical background but has been vocal in pushing conspiracy theories about vaccines.
Long Beach officials emphasized that numerous high-quality studies involving millions of participants have shown no credible evidence supports a connection between vaccines and autism. They assert that rising autism diagnoses are due to improved screening and awareness rather than vaccine links. The pushback against Kennedy has intensified, with politicians like Senator Raphael Warnock criticizing him as detrimental to public health, particularly as measles cases rise, primarily among unvaccinated children. Dr. Tempe Chen reiterated the consensus among researchers that vaccines do not cause autism, highlighting their importance for public health.
