WHO Dismisses Claims Linking Vaccines to Autism

The World Health Organization has firmly dismissed claims suggesting any connection between vaccines and autism, reaffirming the global scientific consensus that vaccines are safe and essential for public health. WHO emphasized that extensive research over decades has found no credible evidence supporting these allegations. By rejecting misinformation, the organization aims to strengthen public trust in immunization programs, encourage informed decision-making, and prevent disruptions to vaccination efforts that protect communities from serious and preventable diseases.

A fresh review from the World Health Organization confirms once again that vaccines have no connection to autism, pushing back against misinformation circulating in the United States. WHO’s findings come at a time when the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently altered its website in a way that casts doubt on its long-held, evidence-based stance that vaccines do not trigger autism.

Decades of rigorous scientific study continue to show that autism and other neurodevelopmental conditions are not caused by immunization. Despite this, US health chief Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has repeatedly promoted misleading narratives suggesting the opposite.

Speaking in Geneva, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stressed that autism is not an effect of receiving vaccines. He explained that a newly released analysis from the Global Advisory Committee on Vaccine Safety found no scientific basis connecting vaccination to autism.

The committee reviewed 31 studies conducted across various nations over a span of 15 years, examining vaccines that use thiomersal as a preservative and aluminium-based adjuvants. Their conclusion was clear: even vaccines containing aluminium or thiomersal show no link to autism.

Tedros noted that this marks the fourth comprehensive evaluation, following reports in 2002, 2004, and 2012 and all reached the same verdict: vaccines are not responsible for autism. He added that, like all medical treatments, vaccines may produce minor side effects, which the WHO continuously monitors, but autism is not among them.

The myth connecting the MMR vaccine to autism can be traced back to a discredited 1998 paper that used manipulated data and has since been withdrawn. Even though that study was proven fraudulent and formally retracted, the misinformation it sparked has persisted for decades.

Kennedy has long amplified unproven claims, many of which have become rallying points for his “Make America Healthy Again” movement, a key component of President Donald Trump’s wider political base. The CDC’s recent website edits drew frustration and concern from scientists, public health advocates, and even staff within the agency who have spent years fighting vaccine misinformation.

Tedros also highlighted that child mortality worldwide has dropped dramatically, from 11 million annual deaths to 4.8 million over the past 25 years, with vaccines playing a major role in that progress. He emphasized that vaccines remain one of humanity’s most transformative medical breakthroughs.

Today, immunization protects millions of lives from around 30 diseases, including measles, malaria, and cervical cancer.

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Source: NDTV‍