In an interview posted online last week, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. falsely stated that vaccines cause autism, claiming that over 400 studies have found a link. He also claimed, without evidence, that it’s virtually impossible for a healthy child to die from measles, that WHO says that vitamin A is an “absolute cure” for the disease, and that “lots of studies” show that people who had measles as children are healthier and more resistant to cancer and heart disease.
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Persistent false narratives about routine vaccine safety—propagated by anti-vaccine figures with large platforms—contribute to a decline in vaccine confidence. Talking points may highlight that measles is a unique disease that can cause immune amnesia, which reduces the immune system’s ability to fight other diseases. Explaining that vaccination is the best and safest way to prevent measles is recommended. Debunking messaging may emphasize that decades of research have found no link between autism and MMR vaccines and that children are diagnosed with autism at the same rates regardless of vaccination status. Fact Checking Source(s): Stanford Medicine, CHOP, CDC
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