In a June 30 interview, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. falsely claimed that the hepatitis B vaccine is linked to an increased risk of autism. Kennedy claimed that the CDC covered up and “manipulated” data showing a dramatic increase in autism in children vaccinated at birth, a long-debunked myth that Kennedy and other anti-vaccine figures have repeated for decades. The CDC study that Kennedy cited was not a full study, but an abstract of early, unverified data presented at a 2000 conference. The data at that time showed no link between thimerosal exposure and autism. Three years after the conference, the full study was published in a peer-reviewed journal, showing no link between thimerosal-containing vaccines and autism or ADHD. Several trending videos suggested that anti-vaccine advocates were “right all along” and encouraged people to “do their own research.” Some parents questioned whether the hepatitis B vaccine and other vaccines are safe and necessary for infants, while others expressed concern and guilt about vaccinating their children.
Recommendation
When health officials spread false and misleading claims, they put the public at risk and weaken trust in public health entities. Debunking messaging may explain that the hepatitis B vaccine is safe and provides lifelong protection against the potentially deadly infection. Messaging may also emphasize that newborns receive the vaccine because they can contract the virus during birth or from infected adults at home—even those who don’t show symptoms or know that they have the virus. Highlighting the decades of research showing that there’s no link between autism and vaccines is recommended, as is emphasizing that hepatitis B vaccines have not contained thimerosal in over two decades.
Fact-checking sources: Tech ARP, AAP, Factcheck.org
