NMA Statement on CDC Reviving Debunked Link Between Autism and Vaccines
For Immediate Release:
November 20, 2025
Statement attributable to:
126th President, National Medical Association
The National Medical Association (NMA) is deeply alarmed by reports that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has changed the agency’s position on vaccines and autism. As physicians, we remain firmly committed to science, transparency, and the health of our communities. Currently, there is no credible scientific evidence demonstrating that vaccines cause autism. In fact, multiple large, well-designed epidemiologic studies and systematic reviews consistently show no association between the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This body of research represents decades of independent, global scientific inquiry.
It is appropriate for federal agencies, including the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, to continually reassess emerging science related to autism, such as its causes, its biologic mechanisms, and the factors that shape diagnosis and prevalence. Ongoing scientific evaluation is a strength of our public health system, not an indication that established evidence has changed.
However, it is essential that such reviews are not misinterpreted and misrepresented as evidence of a causal link where none exists. To date, no well-controlled study has demonstrated that infant vaccines cause autism, and claims suggesting otherwise have repeatedly failed scientific scrutiny.
What we do know is this: withholding vaccines from children because of hypothetical or unproven risks exposes them to very real infectious diseases – measles, pneumonia, and others – that can cause severe complications, lifelong disability, or death. Vaccination remains one of the safest and most effective tools we must protect children and communities.
The NMA urges families, clinicians, and policymakers to rely on high-quality evidence and to continue supporting routine childhood immunization, which saves lives every day.
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About the National Medical Association:
The NMA is the nation’s oldest and largest organization representing Black physicians and health professionals in the U.S. and promotes the collective interests of physicians and patients of African descent. We serve as the voice of Black physicians and a leading voice for parity in medicine, elimination of health disparities and promotion of optimal health. To learn more about the NMA, please visit https://www.nmanet.org/.
