The link between vaccines & autism has been clear for over 25 years since the CDC did the VSD study.

Question

The link between vaccines and autism has been clear for over 25 years since the CDC did the VSD study
kirschsubstack.com/p/the-link-b...

Answer 1

This is medically incorrect. Firstly, scientists throughout time have disputed the connection of autism and vaccines. The most notorious connection of these shown was a 1998 study done by Andrew Wakefield, who found that in 12 children who were given a specific vaccine, that being the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine, 8 were found later to have autism, as shown here (https://publichealth.jhu.edu/2025/the-evidence-on-vaccines-and-autism). 

However, this same article goes on to show flaws in the study, as it details a lack of a control group in the study, and the showing that autism begins to show its symptoms at a very young age, similar to that age of when babies are first getting their vaccines. As well, you yourself said this has become evidently clear since the CDC completed their VSD study. However the CDC themselves disputed the claims here (https://www.cdc.gov/vaccine-safety/about/autism.html).

Finally, your source is unreliable. The author of the article, which you accessed from a tweet, was written by Steve Kirsch. Kirsch has a Bachelors and Masters Degree in electrical engineering and computer science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/biography/steve-kirsch). Kirsch has no ground to stand on to be considered a trusted source. As well, he has previous history of making false claims on medical problems throughout the last five years. In 2020, he famously said that the COVID-19 vaccine caused shingles, a claim that has been refuted on multiple fronts (https://www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/critical-thinking/steve-kirsch-and-seduction-simplicity). 

Comments

It is smart to look at the authors record of previous false claims to help support your argument!

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Although I had heard of these claims before, I had never thought to look at it through the lens of the author. Thank you for the well researched and heavily detailed answer. Were there any other interesting arguments against the claim?

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I didn't know that the forum was written by an engineer! Makes you think why he feels like he has a say in medical talk.

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I think you did a really solid job here explaining why the vaccine–autism claim is medically incorrect, and I like how you walked through both the history of Wakefield’s study and the credibility problems with Steve Kirsch. One suggestion I have is to make the structure a little clearer for the reader. Right now, you cover three big points, the history of the 1998 study, the CDC’s official stance, and then the credibility of the author, but they kind of run together. Maybe labeling those sections or summarizing them at the end would help drive home why the claim is false from multiple angles. I also think it would be useful if you briefly explained what the Vaccine Safety Datalink (VSD) is, since not everyone will know that it’s a huge CDC project tracking millions of medical records. That context would make your evidence even more persuasive.

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Sammi,
I completely blanked on mentioning or bringing to attention to important of the VSD. Thank you for the suggestion, I'll know better for next time. And thank you as well for the criticism on making the writing more condensed and concise. I had thought to separate everything into paragraphs with their own explanations to flesh out the different problems with the original question, but I could've done a better job of making it all flow better. Thank you!

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Thank you for all your information on this topic. You explained it perfectly. Autism and vaccines have NOTHING to do with each other. The way you fact-check every article to be incorrect just proves the time and effort you put into putting this "engineer" in their place. I'm curious how you found these sources, and how you were able to prove them wrong?

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This was a great answer because it uses so many different sources to show that the claim is very false. It is important to make sure people are properly informed especially about medical topics.

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The structure of your answer is concise. The reasons why the question is considered false are explained properly. Additionally, the answer is well-supported by references to various articles in each section. Overall, your answer is very easy to read and understand.

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This fact check has super good information, from multiple different sources. Those sources are also from solid websites and organizations. The direct and clear communication makes it super easy to follow and understand.

Answer 2

The claim that vaccines are a cause of autism is a misleading and medically incorrect statement. Scientists and medical professionals have accomplished thorough research on the ingredients of vaccines, and there has been zero correlation between the two. The evidence to support the claim proves the invalidity of the information above, and scientists have been able to dispute this information.

A study done in 2013 was performed to see if this claim may be true. Antigens that are found in vaccines were given to children during the first two years of life, and they concluded that the amount of antigens was the same in both children who had and didn't have autism, therefore, meaning no trace of relation between the two, as shown here (https://www.cdc.gov/vaccine-safety/about/autism.html).

On the other hand, the source provided for this specific claim doesn't provide valid information. First of all, the author of the article, Steve Kirsch, graduated from MIT with a Bachelor's and Master's degree in Computer Science. Additionally, it was revealed that during the COVID-19 pandemic, he shifted his focus towards vaccines and faced accusations of spreading misleading information about vaccine safety, as reported in an article (https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/biography/steve-kirsch). Furthermore, it was stated that Steve Kirsch was left jobless after promoting false information to the public. (https://www.unmc.edu/healthsecurity/transmission/2022/11/28/this-tech-millionaire-went-from-covid-trial-funder-to-misinformation-superspreader/) 

Comments

I liked how you did further research into the first source that you used to show more evidence for your claim. However, I think you could go into even more detail about the second and third sources you used.

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I appreciate how you started off this answer with a clear answer and backing up with evidence that supports it with not just the link, but also what the importance of this site is when refuting the claim. I think you could expand more on the second two sources and providing direct quotes and how they got their information. The EBSCO article does provide a bibliography so there is the ability to site where they got their information. One of the first sources they list is The Daily Beast, which is left leaning and has a mix of opinion and reporting content, so it is important to know if the article you are reading is an opinion piece or not. Overall, EBSCO is a valid source that provides research and information services.

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I applaud your beginning rebuttal against antivaxxers and how you started by showing how vaccines work. The article linked in the first paragraph was creditable and shut down the accusations with reliable data. I also like how you broke down who Steve Kirsch is and why he Isn't creditable.

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I really like the beginning of your fact check. Your articles are very interesting and you support your claim very well.

Answer 3

The claim vaccines cause autism is not only medically incorrect but also extremely dangerous for the public. Scaring people into believing they are essentially being poisoned by receiving vaccines is hindering people from getting the anti-bodies  they need in order to keep themselves and the people they love safe.  

You claim CDC scientist William Thompson found a link between the MMR vaccine and autism which is completely false. In 2014 an article was created by Vaccinateyourfamily.org that clearly states in the first paragraph that Thompson has not spoken publicly on the issue and the only statement he released had no relevance to his claim. Many other scientists have since reviewed his research and are all in agreement there is no evidence of an increase in autism. 

Info Found Here: https://vaccinateyourfamily.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Whistleblower_QA012017_updatedSept2020.pdf

he CDC’s immunization records publicly available here: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/immunize.htm show that 90% of children in the United States have received the MMR vaccine. If there was a link from the vaccine to autism wouldn't 90% of children in the United States have it, or at least a large portion of the population? The centers for disease control and prevention depict that only 3.2% of children are diagnosed with autism. https://www.cdc.gov/autism/data-research/index.html. So if autism really is caused by the MMR vaccine and 90% of children are vaccinated these percentages should be much closer in range than they are. 

Answer 4

I would like to start out by saying this claim is completely incorrect and has little to no real medical basis. The main argument and data from the original post is from a study done in 1998 by Dr. Andrew Wakefeild that shows a link between the MMR vaccine and the causation of autism specifically in young children. This study, despite being posted in a well known medical journal called The Lancet was later debunked by journalist Brian Deer. Who found inaccuracies in the study such as it having too small of a sample size (12 children) and not having proper controls in place to truly test the claim.

 For example The Children's Hospital Of Philadelphia. Claims that  “Because MMR is administered at a time when many children are diagnosed with autism, it would be expected that most children with autism would have received an MMR vaccine”  Showing how his claim of MMR causing autism was not causation but rather correlation and circumstantial to the fact children with autism also received the vaccine. 

Along with this it was found that Dr. Andrew Wakefield, according to The National Library Of Medicine. Was falsifying data and was being paid by lawyers who planned to sue vaccine companies using the study he created. Due to this along with the inaccurate data The Lancet retracted Dr. Andrew Wakefield's work from their medical journal in 2010. Months after this he was stripped of his license from the General Medical Council due to him not disclosing his fundings all this according to The National Institutes Of Health.

Going back to the original source of this entire debate, The Steve Kirsch Newsletter.  It has been found that Steve Kirsch is not a legitimate source either. According to Mcgill Office For Science And Society Steve Kirsch has claimed incorrect and harmful lies about the Covid 19 vaccine. Such as saying the vaccine shows little to no benefit, and that the Pfizer vaccine kills more people than it saves. Showing a history of untruthful and unbacked scientific information from him. 

However I would like to note the Mcgill office for science and society is still a source that can have some biases due to funding and personal beliefs. And should be taken into account as it is a secondary source. 

 Lastly, I want to address the original headline of the post  “The link between vaccines and autism has been clear for over 25 years since the CDC did the VSD study” 

The VSD study is simply The vaccine safety datalink created by the CDC to monitor the effects of vaccines and safety of them on large populations. Neither of these establishments show any link between vaccines and autism and the CDC even clearly states this here on their website.

All evidence I have found from my sources have supported my claims that this study is inaccurate and a result of medical dishonesty. There is no evidence I could find that undermines my claim in a factual and provable way or by a peer review or tested medical journal. 

The only potential biases I can think of are my primary sources like The National Library Of Medicine,  The Children's Hospital Of Philadelphia or The National Institutes Of Health might have been that the study has already been debunked so they might not want to look into them as thoroughly. However I doubt that and I would consider these to be mostly non- biased sources and all the information in them to be accurate.Lastly, I tried to contact the man who made the original post on Bluesky who went under the screenname ‪@jerry44939.bsky.social, however despite multiple attempts I have not received a reply.

Comments

This is a well researched and methodically presented fact check that effectively discredits one of the most persistent myths in modern medical discourse. The writer draws upon reputable and peer-reviewed sources such as The Lancet, the National Library of Medicine, and the CDC to demonstrate that the original 1998 Wakefield study linking the MMR vaccine to autism was not only flawed but also ethically compromised. The discussion of correlation versus causation is particularly strong, as it highlights a key misunderstanding often exploited in vaccine misinformation. Additionally, the acknowledgment of potential bias in secondary sources like the McGill Office for Science and Society reflects critical thinking and awareness of source reliability. Overall, this fact check provides a clear and evidence based refutation of the false claim that vaccines cause autism, emphasizing the importance of scientific integrity and transparency in public health communication.

Answer 5

Your claim that studies have proven a direct connection between kids’ vaccination and autism diagnosis rates is medically incorrect. While there may be studies that have been interpreted in such a way, the studies have since been deemed fundamentally flawed or unreliable. The main argument and data of the original post are from the article “The link between vaccines and autism has been clear for over 25 years since the CDC did the VSD study,” written by Steve Kirsch. While he does provide his own research, which seems to suggest some correlation between autism and vaccines as reported by parents, Steve Kirsch is not medically or epidemiologically trained or educated. He conducts his own survey of parents, but provides little information on the parameters of his research, making his data ultimately unreliable. Steve Kirsch himself is the founder of the Vaccine Safety Research Foundation (VSRF), which is known for extreme bias and has routinely promoted misinformation related to the COVID-19 vaccines. Additionally, VSRF has disseminated false claims, such as the conspiracy theory that Covid-19 is a bioweapon and SV40 is increasing cancer rates- all claims which have been refuted by credible sources, as seen in this Health Feedback fact-check. His background suggests further research is necessary before trusting claims, as he has a tendency to manipulate information for his own agenda. 

Kirsch’s other main source is based on claims made by anti-vaccine activist Brian Hooker, which have been discredited as reported in the article “The Facts Behind the “CDC Whistleblower” Accusations Spotlighted in the film Vaxxed” from vaccinateyourfamily.org. Vaccinate Your Family is an evidence-based, nonprofit program which is partnered with medical organizations such as the CDC,  the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Association of Immunization Managers, and the National WIC Association. While they do have a clear stance in opposition to yours, they ensure all of their claims are research-supported. In their article, they explore conclusions drawn about Dr. William Thompson’s, a psychologist employed by the CDC, paper, which was reanalyzed by Brian Hooker, a man who believed his son’s autism was linked to vaccinations. Hooker concluded in his own report, “the present study provides new epidemiologic evidence showing that African American males receiving the MMR vaccine prior to 24 months of age or 36 months of age are more likely to receive an autism diagnosis” (Vaccinate Your Family). However, Brian Hook's reanalysis of the data gathered in Thompson’s study led to unreliable results as his methodology went against that of the study itself; he was selective about data points, and he manipulated results. The main claim that the MMR vaccine leads to autism in African American Boys has since been disproven by several sources, as cited in Vaccinate Your Family’s article, including The Vaccine Education Center at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. 

The claims made by Vaccinate Your Family supporting the safety of vaccines are further supported by medical research, as shown in the article fromJohns Hopkins University. As an academically and medically reliable research university, Johns Hopkins not only supports the claim that vaccines are not the cause of autism, but also takes the position that such claims against this fact are dangerous, as vaccines provide necessary preventive care for individuals and overall public health. In this article, they claim that while there was an instance surrounding the MMR vaccine where 12 kids were diagnosed with autism, it was found that there is no real correlation between the vaccines and their diagnosis, and claims otherwise are made under poor research guidelines. 

Answer 6

The claim that vaccines cause autism is false and dangerous. It spreads fear and discourages people from getting vaccinated, putting public health at risk. 

The post falsely says CDC scientists William Thompson found a link between the MMR vaccine and autism, but that's not true. According to Vaccinate Your Family (2014), Thompson never said vaccines cause autism, and many scientists confirmed there's no connection. 

CDC data also disproved this idea. About 90% of U.S children received the MMR vaccine, but only around 3.2% are diagnosed with autism CDC Immunization Data, CDC Autism Data. If vaccines caused autism, those numbers would be much closer. 

This myth started with a 1998 study by Dr. Andrew Wakefield. However, the study was later taken back by The Lancet in 2010 after it was proven to have serious errors and ethical issues The Lancet Retraction Statement. 

According to the Children's hospital of Philadelphia, autism symptoms often appear around the same age that children receive vaccines. This timing is a coincidence but not proof of cause. 

Steven Kirsch, who made the original claim, is not a medical expert. The McGill Office for Science and Society reports that Kirsch has spread multiple false claims about vaccines, showing a pattern of misinformation. 

The Vaccine Safety Datalink, Which Kirsch references, is a CDC program that monitors vaccine safety using data from millions of people. The CDC states clearly that no link has ever been found between vaccines and autism. 

Answer 7

The claim that vaccines cause autism in children is biologically impossible. While there are a multitude of things wrong with this claim, and the “study” chosen to back it up, the most glaring is the lack of credentials the author has. Steve Kirsch holds degrees in electrical engineering and computer science, neither of which give him any of the education necessary to declare the link between vaccines and autism.

According to medical professionals, autism is a developmental difference that affects how a person communicates, socializes, and behaves. Furthermore, Autism is developed in utero, even if parents don't pick up the signs in their children for years, the child still always had autism. In fact, the Mayo Clinic states that, “Many well-done research studies show no link between autism spectrum disorder and any vaccines. In fact, the original study that started the debate years ago was retracted due to poor design and questionable research methods”. While scientists are still trying to figure out the exact genes that are linked to autism, they have found conclusive evidence that it is in no way caused by vaccines. 

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/autism-spectrum-disorder/symptoms-causes/syc-20352928#:~:text=Several%20genes%20seem%20to%20be,risk%20of%20autism%20spectrum%20disorder.

Autism is mostly commonly found in children who have direct descendants with autism. The National Library of Medicine, states that “Studies have found that autism spectrum disorder (ASD) aggregates in families, and twin studies estimate the proportion of the phenotype variance due to genetic factors (heritability) to be about 90%”. Children are more likely to be diagnosed with autism if they have parents or family members who also have it. 

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5818813/#:~:text=Studies%20have%20found%20that%20autism,)%20to%20be%20about%2090%25. 

Answer 8

Vaccines being linked to autism is extremely false. The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) an organization ran by the U.S. government, published an article in 2024 showing studies that vaccines clearly do not correlate with autism. An ingredient in vaccines called thimerosal is a mercury based preservative used to prevent germs. The CDC states, “Since 2003, there has been nine CDC-funded or conducted studies that have found no link between thimerosal-containing vaccines and ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder)”. The main ingredient to the vaccine does not link to autism, a bacteria killing preservative would not cause ASD. Another article published by UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine, state, “Autism is hereditary and therefore does run in families”, “no evidence that children can develop autism after early fetal development as a result of exposure to vaccines”. With these two notable health departments, vaccines do not link to autism as there is no accurate evidence.

https://medschool.ucla.edu/news-article/is-autism-genetic#:~:text=Yes%2C%20a%20majority%20of%20autism%20cases%20are%20linked%20to%20inherited,develop%20autism%20later%20in%20life.

https://www.cdc.gov/vaccine-safety/about/autism.html

Answer 9

This is false. A Danish study of 537,303 children proved no link between the MMR vaccine and autism. (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC1124634/). They found no increase in the risk of autism compared to unvaccinated children. In Denmark, rising diagnosis in autism didn’t begin until the mid 90’s, while the vaccine had been introduced in 1987. In his summary of his piece, he gives a list of peer-reviewed literature to prove kids are “significantly healthier by avoiding all vaccines.” The first author he cites is Anthony Mawson, who has previously posted work on vaccines that have been retracted, and who was funded by the National Vaccine Information Center, who is a group notorious for fearmongering and sharing misinformation about vaccines. (https://www.factcheck.org/2025/01/rfk-jr-cites-flawed-paper-claiming-link-between-vaccines-and-autism-in-hhs-confirmation-hearing/ ). Another person cited is Brian Hooker, who believed his own son’s autism was caused by vaccines. Hooker manipulated data he found on the topic of vaccines and autism to fit his reported claims. (https://vaccinateyourfamily.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Whistleblower_QA012017_updatedSept2020.pdf) 

The author of this newsletter has no background in the medical field, but rather a background in electrical engineering and computer science. He has put out multiple posts that included misinformation about the COVID-19 vaccines, all of this making him an unreliable source.  

Answer 10

This is not based in fact whatsoever and any misconceptions around this claim have been proven wrong by science.

According to the National Library for Medicine, after an incredibly thorough review of many studies concluded that there is no connection between vaccines and autism. Many people want to blame the rise is ASD on something, but the theories regarding immunization are merely theories and have been disproved by countless studies. I highly recommend reading this study because it fully disproves this claim.

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9464417/
 An article on Medical News Today agrees with this. It explains that the original study that started this misconception in 1998 was falsified and fabricated. The journal lost their license in the UK due to Medical Misconduct. Since then there has been no legitimate research that proves this theory. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/do-vaccines-cause-autism#1

Additionally, an article by the CDC explains the MMR study in 2004 that looked at infants given the measles vaccine showed no increase in risk of autism. This claim seems merely based in conspiracy and paranoia.https://www.cdc.gov/vaccine-safety/about/autism.html

1. Write a brief overall summary of your findings.
2. What primary sources did you find (e.g., transcripts, videos of politician speeches, tweets from public figures, scientific studies)? For each source, write at least one or two sentences explaining what you learned. Include all links.
3. What secondary sources did you find (e.g., newspapers, magazines)? Only use secondary sources if sufficient primary sources are not available. For each source, write at least one or two sentences explaining what you learned. Include all links.
4. What potential biases or interests might each of your sources have?
5. What evidence supports the claim you are fact-checking?
6. What evidence undermines the claim you are fact-checking?
7. What happened when you tried contacting the person or group who made the original claim? (Always try to contact them—it’s okay if you don’t get a reply. For example, if the claim is that the president said something, try reaching out to the administration. If it was a Bluesky user, message that user on Bluesky.)

Comments

My bad for not deleting the guide, it won't let me edit it unfortunately.