Autism and Vaccines- The Unspoken Danger Of Misinformation

Earlier this week, the CDC came out with new guidelines about autism and vaccines. This week I want to speak out as a level one autistic person and researcher and correct some misinformation. In this blog, I will explain the science to the best of my ability, as medical science is not my field of expertise. I will then share the dangers of the current narrative of autism for autistic people through personal experience, before ending with a call to action.

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The rate of autism has increased to one in 31 children (US Department of Health Services, 2025). However, the cause is not linked to vaccines. Medically, there is no link between vaccines and autism (National Library of Medicine, 2022). I want to make this very clear: There is no debate about this outside of RFJ Jr. One study done by the National Library of Medicine in 2022 conducted a literature review of studies studying the link between autism and vaccines. A literature review in academic literature means that papers written about a topic are compiled based on a research question and analyzed to identify overall themes and commonalities. This literature review included 21 studies written in English about autism and vaccines after 1998. This review of the studies concluded there is no link between autism and vaccines.

In one of the largest studies done on autism and vaccines (King, 2015), over 95,000 medical records were examined to find a correlation between the measles vaccine and autism. No correlation was found. So, how did we get here? In 1998, a fraudulent study was released linking autism and vaccines. According to the National Library of Medicine (Flaherty, 2011), after 10 years of scientific testing, the scientist who released this study was charged with ethical, scientific, and medical misconduct. The harm of this study still affects autistic people like me to this day.

Now that we can see that rigorous scientific testing has been done with multiple sources to debunk the autism and vaccine rumor, I want to talk about the unspoken harm this debate has caused. At the end of the day, this rumor has led to the question: Is a dead child from diseases such as polio, measles, mumps, and more better than an autistic child? For some parents, the answer to this question has been yes, because the risk of autism has led to limiting vaccines. In 2023, 4.8 million children under the age of 5 died of infectious diseases, some of which were preventable with vaccines (Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, 2025). This leads me to ask, what about autism is so scary that some parents wouldn't want their child to end up like me?

As an autistic child, a lot of the therapy I have received was rooted in removing certain autistic traits to make me more successful in society. Now, as a 25-year-old adult, I look at many parts of my autism as a gift. My ability to hyperfocus allows me to complete assignments quickly. My direct communication eliminates confusion. And despite the belief I have seen on the wrong side of the internet that autistic people can't have fulfilling lives with love and friendship, I am here to dispel that rumor. Autism is a disability that has created challenges for me, but it also makes me who I am. By trying to cure or eliminate autism, we are eliminating an important neurotype that adds diversity and a new perspective to society. When RFK Jr says that autism is preventable (2025), he argues that people like me should not be born because autism should be eliminated. When we add the fear of vaccines to the argument, we reintroduce dangerous viruses into our population, driven by a fear that has been debunked by many studies (Flaherty, 2011; King, 2015; National Library of Medicine, 2022).

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If you, like me, are scared about the current viewpoint about autism and want to do something as someone who is autistic or loves someone who is autistic, there are a few things you can do. First, talk to your doctor and get vaccinated if you are able to, especially for the more deadly vaccines like measles, mumps, polio, and more. Secondly, if someone spreads misinformation, ask them about it. In this blog, I have linked three articles on autism and vaccines that are accessible to the public. Share that information with others who are unsure and want to learn more. Lastly, show support to the autistic people in your life. Speaking for myself, this is a scary time to be openly autistic on the internet. I worry about having a diagnosis our current administration is trying to cure despite #Actuallyautistic advocates rejecting the sentiment. Regardless of political opinion or even your opinion on vaccines, the spread of misinformation hurts the autistic community by portraying us as a burden to society that needs to be cured. I am proud of my #Actuallyautistic identity, and all I am able to do because of it.

Thank you for reading about the dangers of spreading misinformation about vaccines and autism. If you have any questions or comments, please comment on the blog, reach out at @Anniekrollblog on Instagram or Facebook, or email me at Anniekrollblog@gmail.com. I hope to see you next week!