On November 21, 2025, California Medical Association (CMA) President René Bravo, M.D., addressed recent changes to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) website regarding vaccines and autism.
Bravo stated, “California physicians are deeply troubled by the CDC’s recent website changes suggesting uncertainty about the long-settled question of whether vaccines cause autism. Decades of research and science have found no causal link, and implying otherwise undermines public trust in one of our most effective tools for preventing serious childhood diseases.
Parents deserve clear, evidence-based guidance—not ambiguity that lends credibility to a long-disproven myth. While scientific inquiry must always continue, these revisions give undue weight to speculation rather than the overwhelming body of research.
This messaging risks lowering vaccination rates and will put children and communities at real, preventable risk. Physicians see the consequences when vaccine confidence erodes, and we cannot allow misinformation—especially when it appears to come from trusted institutions—to jeopardize public health.
We urge the CDC to restore clear, evidence-based language. Families deserve nothing less.”
The statement comes as concerns grow among medical professionals about how public messaging on vaccine safety can affect immunization rates and community health outcomes.
