CDC changes stance on vaccine autism link. AIBU to be furious and appalled?

[helpsent]

I just saw this on another thread so had a look online. It’s ridiculous, irresponsible, downright dangerous and absolutely not based on science.

https://www.cdc.gov/vaccine-safety/about/autism.html

https://www.npr.org/sections/shots-health-news/2025/11/20/nx-s1-5615040/cdc-rfk-childhood-vaccines-autism

There’s a proven link between febrile convulsions and ADHD. It could be argued that the MMR which caused my infant febrile convulsions in turn caused my ADHD.

Why's that?

Pretending it isn't happening, or blaming the Tories, isn't the best course of action

People believe in one god or another. Or that the Earth is flat. Children believe in Father Christmas and the Tooth Fairy.

I am an autism advisory teacher and I certainly noticed.

This seems to be the American equivalent of NICE. Why do you care what Americans think? - they've all gone mad.

This 'CDC' is completely irrelevant in Britain.

I believe ≠ fact
I read somewhere ≠ fact
My aunty reckons ≠ fact
Science ≠ fact, but = falsifiable hypotheses and highly probable conclusions
so why are so many feckin' idiots prepared to believe whatever the fuck conspiracy theory they heard from some wacko friend?

My DD has ADHD. She never had any febrile convulsions. Therefore your theory is disproved.

Oh wait, that’s not how science works. It relies on provable facts, not wild ideas.

DH, DD and I are all fully vaccinated according to whatever was the standard childhood vaccination schedule at the time of our childhoods. Two out of the three of us have ASD and ADHD. Surely it should be all three if vaccines cause autism/ADHD?

DD exhibited ADHD behaviours while in utero. She exhibited ASD behaviours prior to MMR vaccination. She was autistic and ADHD from the moment she was conceived. In fact we knew before we conceived her that there was a higher than average chance of her having ASD. How could we know this? Easy - genetics. DH has ASD and ADHD meaning that any children of his have a higher chance of having them too.

Because I have seen the increased incidence with my own eyes, not because someone somewhere was counting differently and telling me. There is something very worrying going on with our children and I prefer not to dismiss any potential cause. Everything is on the table for me.

So you've done your own research? What qualifications do you have? A PhD from youtube perhaps? A doctorate from Instagram?

There is so much to unpack.

the danger of discouraging vaccines.

the very idea that autism is something that needs to be prevented.

(The fact that the condition formerly known as Asperger’s and autism are now the same thing so I have to say something any time someone implies being autistic isn’t fantastic because discrimination is a huge problem. Also because honestly, having a “normal” brain looks like a miserable existence to me)

It's been proven that there is no link between vaccines and autism, but because of the age correlation, parents are understandably seeking a 'scapegoat' or a 'reason' for their child having autism.

It's simply natural to try to find something to 'blame'.

I remember the Wakefield bullshit from when it happened. I thought this stuff was all dealt with and settled but no, Trump and RFK Jr have brought it back.

Get your vaccinations done, everyone, especially your babies and children.

Can I ask what behaviours she exhibited in utero that were ADHD behaviours? Genuine question as I’ve not heard this before.

I work with older children but completely agree with you re screens. We don’t know the impact of extended screen use yet.

Agreed.

Vaccines are something we can be the most sure of not causing autism because they’ve been studied so incredibly extensively. The MMR was withdrawn in Japan and the autism rates there have risen just like in other countries.

Just about to do something but I’ll come back to you later. She was super active. Crazily active. The constant movement was very reassuring for me. She’d have sleep periods when she wouldn’t be moving of course but otherwise she was active. I thought it was normal.

Idk whether this is the same as OP but DD was literally bouncing off the walls in utero. All day long and most of the night. I had to have extra scans because the sonographers couldn't get clear pictures- I had 3 separate technicians tell me they'd never seen such an active foetus. 😂

She even managed to flip half way through active labour and get herself wedged in an awkward position breach, after starting off head down. So that was an emergency C-section.

DH and I both have ADHD so it wasn't a surprise.

DD exhibited ADHD behaviours while in utero

No she didn’t. There is no link between a baby being active in utero and a later diagnosis of ADHD.

I don't understand your questions. I was a teacher.

God help us.

Those children you saw in the schools would have been locked up at home, an institution or a special school previously. People are 'seeing' more autistic children because they aren't hidden away from 'normal' people anymore.

That and the internet and more travel has made it possible for high functioning autistic people to find each other and often marry/have children.

I know a few families who have had clear high functioning autism (aspergers really, not sure why they changed the name, it is clearly distinct from those with severe autism) running through them for generations. Very 'eccentric' relatives in each age group. The dc all met and married people with similar family histories. It was hardly a shock that their wonderful children also have aspergers.

There's no studies. That's not the same as there definitely being no link. There is absolutely a genetic link for both ADHD and autism- that's well established. So a child with genetic ADHD was once a foetus with ADHD.

As for vaccines and autism, there's multiple studies exploring the possibility of a link, and none have found one.

Oh I talk about it ALL THE TIME! As a scientist and American the anti-science movement in the US boils my piss. I haven't ever thought PoC would be anti-vax its never crossed my mind, in fact the image that comes to mind is a white woman wearing a MAGA tshirt.

The bodies immune response can be to have a temperature. This means the vaccine is working. A temperature in some children can cause febrile seizures. That would definitely be scary. The NHS links febrile seizures to a small increase in the chances of developing epilepsy but not to any other conditions.

Of course, without the vaccine, a child could catch the actual disease which would cause a temperature and febrile seizures which again might increase the risk of epilepsy but they would also run the risk of the long term health consequences of Measles, Mumps, and Rubella and even possible death.