State health officials from California, Oregon, Hawaii, and Washington have released a joint statement responding to recent changes on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) “Autism and Vaccines” webpage. The officials reaffirm their support for vaccines as essential tools in protecting children’s health.
The West Coast Health Alliance expressed concern about inaccurate claims that appeared on the CDC website linking vaccines to autism. According to the Alliance, extensive research involving millions of people across multiple countries over several decades has found no connection between vaccines and autism.
In their statement, the Alliance said: “The West Coast Health Alliance continues to strongly recommend vaccines to protect our children, noting that rigorous research of millions of people in multiple countries over decades provides high quality evidence that vaccines are not linked to autism. The Alliance is deeply concerned about inaccurate claims to the contrary recently posted on the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.”
The officials highlighted that autism is a complex neurodevelopmental condition influenced by both genetic and environmental factors. They stated: “Autism is a complex neurodevelopmental condition with multiple contributing genetic and environmental factors. Suggesting it stems from any single cause, such as vaccination, misleads families who deserve accurate guidance. It is not only a disservice to families seeking clarity about vaccines but also potentially harmful to autistic individuals and their families.”
Vaccines continue to undergo thorough testing before being recommended for public use. The statement emphasized: “Vaccines are thoroughly tested and remain one of the most important tools for preventing infectious diseases. Public health guidance on immunization must be grounded in credible, evidence-based science to help parents and caregivers who may be receiving conflicting or inaccurate messages about immunization.”
Families were encouraged by the Alliance to seek information from trusted sources: “The Alliance encourages families to seek information from trusted health care providers and reputable medical organizations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics.”
