Autism advocates publish report accusing HHS of misinformation and harmful policies
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · May 3
Autism advocates publish report accusing HHS of misinformation and harmful policies
13 articles · Updated · The Guardian · May 3
ASAN and AAPD urged congressional oversight and possible impeachment of Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr, citing about $31m in autism research cuts and an FDA website change.
The report says HHS promoted unsupported autism links to prenatal Tylenol use and touted leucovorin, while replacing the federal autism committee with advisers linked to anti-vaccine and pseudoscientific views.
It was released as the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee meeting was rescheduled for Tuesday after a March postponement, amid claims the administration has gone quieter without retracting earlier statements.
With autism policy in turmoil, what checks exist to ensure federal health agencies follow evidence-based science over unproven claims?
What are the long-term effects on public trust and health outcomes when federal agencies remove warnings against unproven autism treatments?
How will the creation of an independent autism committee impact research and support for autistic people amid official agency controversies?
How Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s Leadership Undermined U.S. Vaccine Programs and Autism Science in 2026
Overview
In April 2026, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. appointed new members with anti-vaccine ties to the federal autism research committee, prompting leading scientists to form an independent group to uphold scientific standards. Kennedy also downgraded routine childhood vaccines from universal recommendations to shared decision-making, sparking widespread criticism and causing many states and medical groups to maintain their own vaccine guidelines. His replacement of CDC vaccine advisors with skeptics and promotion of debunked claims fueled vaccine hesitancy, contributing to outbreaks of measles and pertussis. Significant funding cuts to vaccine and autism research, along with threats to disability support programs, led to lawsuits, congressional scrutiny, and calls for his impeachment, highlighting deep divisions and a crisis in public health leadership.