On November 21, 2025, the California Medical Association (CMA) responded to recent changes made to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) website regarding vaccines and autism. The CMA expressed concern that the CDC’s revised language suggests uncertainty about the relationship between vaccines and autism.
CMA President René Bravo, M.D., issued a statement emphasizing that scientific research has consistently shown no causal link between vaccines and autism. He stated: “California physicians are deeply troubled by the CDC’s recent website changes suggesting uncertainty about the long-settled question of whether vaccines cause autism. Decades of research and science have found no causal link, and implying otherwise undermines public trust in one of our most effective tools for preventing serious childhood diseases.”
Bravo further noted: “Parents deserve clear, evidence-based guidance—not ambiguity that lends credibility to a long-disproven myth. While scientific inquiry must always continue, these revisions give undue weight to speculation rather than the overwhelming body of research.”
He warned that such messaging could result in lower vaccination rates and increase risks for children and communities. “This messaging risks lowering vaccination rates and will put children and communities at real, preventable risk. Physicians see the consequences when vaccine confidence erodes, and we cannot allow misinformation—especially when it appears to come from trusted institutions—to jeopardize public health,” Bravo said.
The CMA called on the CDC to restore clear language based on evidence. “We urge the CDC to restore clear, evidence-based language. Families deserve nothing less,” Bravo concluded.
