In response to the recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) webpage linking vaccines and autism, the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID) led a joint letter to the Senate HELP Committee urging evidence-based CDC communications. This effort reflects the NFID mission to ensure the public receives accurate, science-based information and highlights the need for strong scientific review to maintain trust in public health guidance.
November 26, 2025
The Honorable Bill Cassidy
Chair
Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510
The Honorable Bernie Sanders
Ranking Member
Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510
Dear Chairman Cassidy and Ranking Member Sanders,
We, the undersigned organizations, are deeply concerned by recent federal public health communications that conflict with the scientific consensus that vaccines do not cause autism spectrum disorder, particularly when such information guides decisions affecting the health of families and communities.
On November 19, 2025, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website was updated to include a post suggesting a possible link between vaccines and autism. In the days since, leading US scientific and medical institutions—as well as international bodies such as the European Medicines Agency—have reiterated the well-established evidence that there is no credible causal relationship between vaccines and autism. Despite this, the webpage remains publicly available.
The posting of information on a federal public health website that contradicts established, evidence-based scientific consensus is alarming. At a moment when vaccine-preventable diseases including measles are resurging and the US is entering what may be a severe respiratory season, with public confidence already fragile, statements like this will have real and harmful consequences for public health.
This moment highlights the importance of clear, accurate, and evidence-based public communications from federal health agencies. Strong internal scientific review processes are critical to maintaining public trust—especially for parents and caregivers making decisions about their children’s health. CDC’s public guidance, including website content, should be informed and led by professionals with relevant scientific and medical expertise.
For decades, CDC has served as the nation’s leading source of public health guidance, supported by dedicated career scientists and public health professionals whose work has been essential to the health of families and communities. With respect for CDC’s long-standing mission, we urge that this webpage be updated to accurately reflect the current scientific consensus that there is no causal relationship between vaccines and autism.
We also ask the US Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), in its oversight role, to ensure CDC and other federal science agencies uphold their critically important evidence-based communication practices.
We remain committed to supporting CDC in its mission to ensure that federal public health guidance remains clear and grounded in science, and we thank you for your leadership and service.
Sincerely,
Alliance for Aging Research
American Academy of Neurology
American Association of Immunologists
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
American College of Nurse-Midwives
American College of Preventive Medicine
American Families for Vaccines
American Geriatrics Society
American Institute of Biological Sciences
American Lung Association
American Pharmacists Association
American Society for Microbiology
American Society Meningitis Prevention
American Society of Health-System Pharmacists
American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
Arkansas Immunization Action Coalition (Immunize Arkansas)
ASCPT
Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC)
Big Cities Health Coalition
California Immunization Coalition
ColoVAX
Families Fighting Flu
Gerontological Society of America
Harris County Public Health
Idaho Immunization Coalition
Illinois Public Health Association
Immunization Coalition of Delaware
Immunize Colorado
Immunize Kansas Coalition
Immunize Oregon
Infectious Diseases Society of America
Langlade Co Immunization Coalition
Louisiana Families for Vaccines
Mississippi Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics
Mississippi Immunization Coalition
Montana Families for Vaccines
National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners
National Foundation for Infectious Diseases
National Viral Hepatitis Roundtable (NVHR)
Nurses Who Vaccinate
Oklahoma Alliance for Healthy Families
Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society
Pennsylvania Immunization Coalition
Population Association of America
Research!America
Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA)
Society of Infectious Diseases Pharmacists (SIDP)
South Dakota Families for Vaccines
Tennessee Families for Vaccines
The Arizona Partnership for Immunization
The Immunization Partnership
The JAMIE Group
The Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD)
The Task Force for Global Health
Trust for America’s Health
Vaccinate Your Family
Vaccine Ambassadors
Vaccine Education Center at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
Voices for Vaccines
The following organizations signed onto the letter after November 26:
Adams County Health Department
Association of Population Centers
GE2P2 Global Foundation – Center for Vaccine Ethics & Policy
National Consumers League
The AIDS Institute
About the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases
Founded in 1973, the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to educating and engaging the public, communities, and healthcare professionals about infectious diseases across the lifespan. NFID has a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator and has earned a Platinum transparency seal from Candid/GuideStar. For more information, and to access trusted science-based resources on immunization for both healthcare professionals and the public, visit www.nfid.org.
Contact: info@nfid.org
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