Federal autism advisory panel reaffirms discredited theories amid vaccine controversy

At a recent meeting of the federal autism advisory committee, members again promoted theories linking vaccines to autism that have been repeatedly disproven by scientific studies.

The discussion came as Robert F. Kennedy Jr. testified before lawmakers, claiming his 2019 trip to Samoa was unrelated to vaccines, a claim now challenged by documents showing he had sought to study the island’s measles, mumps and rubella vaccines after two child deaths.

Critics, including the former president of Stanford University, highlighted the lack of evidence for the committee’s positions and warned that such rhetoric could undermine public confidence in vaccination programs.