CSTE Statement on Autism and Vaccines

There is no link between vaccines and autism. Vaccines are one of the most important tools we have to keep our communities, especially children, healthy. Vaccines are carefully studied to evaluate effectiveness and safety both before and after licensure.

The question of whether vaccines, including the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine, cause autism has been studied extensively, over decades, in dozens of studies in multiple countries, across different populations, and using a variety of research methods. Studies have been robust, independent, and included thousands of children and all have consistently found no evidence of a link between vaccines and autism. This conclusion is supported by national autism experts, as well as infectious disease and public health experts, and healthcare providers. The diseases that these vaccines prevent can be severe, result in long-term disability after recovery, and can even be deadly.

Robust public health efforts in every state and territory to monitor and detect cases and outbreaks of vaccine preventable diseases continue to demonstrate that vaccines prevent children from ever getting sick in the first place, helping them have healthier lives where they can learn and grow.

It is confusing to parents and dangerous to our communities to provide information that is not based on evidence and that may result in significant morbidity and mortality.

Scientists are working hard to understand the causes of autism, which are complex and likely involve a mix of genetic and environmental factors. Promoting non-valid causes of autism also does a disservice to people with autism: The myths distract from the critical need to ensure access and affordable high-quality health care and support services that improve the lives of children and people with autism.

CSTE media contacts: Amy Heldman (aheldman@cste.org) and Matt Cone (mcone@cste.org)

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The Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE) is the professional home for almost 3,300 applied epidemiologists representing multiple levels of public health practice across state, Tribal, local, and territorial jurisdictions. CSTE is the only national organization dedicated to advancing the field of applied epidemiology and supporting its workforce. For almost 75 years, CSTE has worked to advance applied epidemiology capacity and effective use of epidemiologic data to guide public health practice, implement policy, and improve health—all in service of our vision of thriving and healthy people and communities everywhere.