Health
Federal autism advisory committee members raise vaccines as potential cause during meeting
Public participants and members brought up vaccines during discussions on a new research funding plan, drawing criticism from advocacy groups.
The short version
- Members and public participants at a federal autism advisory committee meeting raised vaccines as a potential autism trigger during discussions on a new research plan.
- The claims were made despite an established scientific consensus debunking a link between vaccines and autism.
- Committee members did not challenge the assertions during the meeting, prompting criticism from disability advocacy representatives.
Key facts
- A federal autism advisory committee met to discuss a new strategic plan intended to guide research funding.[STAT]
- Committee member Laura Cellini advocated for investigating various potential triggers, including vaccines, aspirin, and glutamate.[STAT]
- The committee's proposed strategic plan does not explicitly reference vaccines.[STAT]
- Autistic Self Advocacy Network policy director Greg Robinson noted that no committee members pushed back against claims connecting vaccines to autism.[STAT]
What remains uncertain
- It remains unclear whether or how the committee's final strategic plan will incorporate vaccine-related research priorities.[STAT]