In mid-November 2025, the CDC updated its vaccine and autism webpage under the direction of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., altering its longstanding position by questioning vaccine safety and the denied link to autism spectrum disorder.The update acknowledges that the claim "Vaccines do not cause autism" is not evidence-based and was politically agreed with Senator Bill Cassidy, causing backlash from public health officials and experts.Kennedy defended the changes and has initiated a broader overhaul at the CDC, including advisory board changes, removal of dissenting experts, and a significant budget cut to vaccine development.