November 19, 2025
Kennedy kept the headline but gutted the science underneath it, turning a Senate promise into a public health warning label
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. personally directed CDC staff on Nov. 19, 2025, to rewrite the agency web page titled Autism and Vaccines, according to his own public confirmation on Nov. 21.
The rewritten page keeps the heading Vaccines do not cause autism but follows it with an asterisk. Text further down the page says that statement is not an evidence-based claim because studies have not ruled out the possibility that infant vaccines cause autism.
The page also states that studies supporting a link between vaccines and autism have been ignored by health authorities, a claim directly contradicted by more than 40 peer-reviewed studies involving over 5.6 million children across seven countries.
The CDC rewrite did not go through the agency's standard scientific clearance process. A senior CDC official who subsequently resigned confirmed that career public health staff objected to the change.
During his February 2025 Senate confirmation hearings, Kennedy made a specific written commitment to Sen. Bill Cassidy that the CDC website would retain the statement that vaccines do not cause autism. That promise secured Cassidy's yes vote in the 52-48 confirmation.
A CDC staffer who was not permitted to speak publicly described the asterisk as a direct middle finger to Cassidy. Kennedy satisfied the letter of the promise while inverting its meaning.
Cassidy, a physician and chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, publicly said after the page went live that vaccines are safe, but he did not say Kennedy breached his commitment or announce any consequences.
The 52-48 Senate confirmation vote on Feb. 13, 2025, was nearly party-line. The only Republican to vote no was Sen. 
Mitch McConnell of Kentucky. Cassidy and Sen. 
Susan Collins of Maine were among the Republicans whose votes Kennedy lobbied hardest.
What position does RFK Jr. hold?
What is CDC's traditional mission?
Who made the changes to the CDC website about vaccines and autism?
Who published the fraudulent 1998 study linking MMR vaccine to autism?
On what date did RFK Jr. order CDC to change its vaccines-autism webpage?
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U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services
U.S. Senator (R-LA), Chair of the Senate HELP Committee
U.S. Senator (R-ME)
U.S. Senator (R-KY)
Former CDC Director (resigned Aug. 2025)
civic action
Call Sen. Cassidy and demand he hold Kennedy accountable
Cassidy extracted a written promise from Kennedy and then watched Kennedy exploit a loophole to keep the words while reversing the meaning. Constituents can put Cassidy on record about whether he considers that a breach and what he plans to do about it.
Hello, I am [NAME], a constituent from [CITY, STATE]. I am calling about Secretary Kennedy's Nov. 19 rewrite of the CDC vaccine-autism webpage.
Key concerns:
Questions to ask:
Specific request: I am asking Senator Cassidy to publicly declare whether Kennedy breached their agreement and to use his committee chairmanship to compel Kennedy to appear before the HELP Committee.
Question: What is Senator Cassidy's position on Kennedy's asterisk maneuver, and has his office contacted HHS to demand a reversal?
Thank you for your time.
research
Check your child's vaccine schedule against CDC ACIP recommendations
The ACIP vaccine schedule remains the authoritative source for childhood immunization recommendations and has not been changed by Kennedy's web rewrite. Pediatricians follow ACIP schedules regardless of what the autism page says.
Hello, I am [NAME], a patient from [CITY, STATE]. I am calling because I read about changes to the CDC's vaccine-autism webpage and want to confirm my child's vaccination plan.
Key concerns:
Questions to ask:
Specific request: I am asking for written confirmation of my child's current vaccination status and the recommended schedule going forward.
Question: Has your practice seen any changes to vaccine recommendations following the CDC website update in November 2025?
Thank you for your time.
civic action
Submit a public comment demanding CDC restore evidence-based vaccine language
Federal agencies are required to respond to public comments when they make significant policy changes. The CDC autism page rewrite was made without a formal notice-and-comment rulemaking, and a coordinated public response creates a legal and political record.
Hello, I am [NAME] from [CITY, STATE]. I am submitting a formal public comment regarding the Nov. 19, 2025, rewrite of the CDC's Autism and Vaccines webpage.
Key concerns:
My comment: I am asking HHS to immediately restore the CDC's Autism and Vaccines page to its September 2025 language, which reflected the scientific consensus. I am also asking HHS to explain, in writing, why this rewrite bypassed CDC's standard scientific clearance process.
Question: Will HHS publish the scientific basis for this change, including the studies the page claims were ignored by health authorities?
Thank you.