President-elect Donald Trump indicated in a Sunday interview on “Meet The Press” that Robert F. Kennedy Jr., his nominee to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, might investigate a debunked theory linking vaccines to autism. Trump expressed concern over rising autism rates, suggesting “something is going on,” while adding he was “open to anything” regarding potential causes, including vaccines or environmental factors.
Kennedy, a long-time proponent of the vaccine-autism link, has argued vaccines are unsafe despite numerous studies refuting the connection. Autism diagnoses have increased from about 1 in 150 children in 2000 to 1 in 36 today, according to the CDC. Experts attribute this rise to improved awareness and expanded diagnostic criteria, not vaccines.
The vaccine-autism theory originated from a now-retracted 1998 study by Andrew Wakefield, which used flawed methods and ethical violations. Wakefield was subsequently barred from practicing medicine in the UK.
Trump acknowledged the benefits of certain vaccines, calling the polio vaccine “the greatest thing” while questioning the safety of others. He emphasized the need for further investigation, stating, “If they’re dangerous for the children, we have to find out.”
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