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THE US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated its website on Wednesday to say that claims about vaccines not causing autism are not 鈥渆vidence-based.鈥

Vaccine skeptic and US Health and Human Services聽Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as well as US President Donald Trump have promoted the theory – contrary to scientific evidence – that childhood vaccines are a cause of autism. But the CDC鈥檚 website previously said 鈥渟tudies have shown there is no link between receiving vaccines and developing autism spectrum disorder.鈥

As of Wednesday night the agency鈥檚 website states: 鈥淭he claim 鈥榲accines do not cause autism鈥 is not an evidence-based claim because studies have not ruled out the possibility that infant vaccines cause autism.鈥 It added that health authorities have 鈥渋gnored鈥 studies supporting the link between the two.

The agency kept the header 鈥淰accines do not cause autism鈥 on its web page, saying that it has not been removed due to an agreement with Senator Bill Cassidy, chairman of the US Senate鈥檚 Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions.

The anti-vaccine group Children鈥檚 Health Defense, which was聽previously led by Mr. Kennedy, applauded the changes to the CDC鈥檚 website.

鈥淭he CDC is beginning to acknowledge the truth about this condition that affects millions, disavowing the bold, long-running lie that 鈥榲accines do not cause autism,鈥欌 the group said on X.

Mr. Kennedy has linked vaccines to autism and sought to rewrite the country鈥檚 immunization policies.

Mr. Trump has also linked autism to the taking of pain medication Tylenol by pregnant women, a claim that is also not backed by scientific evidence.

Autism is a neurological and developmental condition marked by disruptions in brain-signaling that cause people to behave, communicate, interact and learn in atypical ways.

The causes of autism are unclear, but no rigorous studies have found links between autism and vaccines, medications or components like thimerosal or formaldehyde. 鈥听搁别耻迟别谤蝉

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