California-led health alliance affirms vaccine safety, contradicting federal website changes that suggest autism link, citing decades of scientific evidence.
LOS ANGELES: California and allied states have affirmed that parents should continue vaccinating children despite federal government changes suggesting vaccines might cause autism.
The West Coast Health Alliance expressed deep concern about anti-science sentiment at the Centers for Disease Control under vaccine-skeptic Health Secretary Robert Kennedy.
“Rigorous research of millions of people in multiple countries over decades provides high-quality evidence that vaccines are not linked to autism,” stated the alliance grouping California, Oregon, Washington and Hawaii.
The alliance emphasized autism is a complex neurodevelopmental condition with multiple genetic and environmental factors.
It warned that suggesting autism stems from any single cause like vaccination misleads families needing accurate guidance.
The intervention follows CDC website revisions undermining its previous scientifically grounded position.
New federal language accuses health authorities of ignoring research supporting an autism link.
The US health department announced launching a comprehensive assessment of autism causes.
A purported MMR vaccine-autism connection originated from a flawed 1998 study retracted for falsified data.
Subsequent voluminous research has refuted those unreplicated results.
Kennedy has a long history of promoting dubious claims embraced by his “Make America Healthy Again” movement.
The MAHA movement forms a vital part of President Donald Trump’s fractious MAGA coalition.
Last week’s website edits angered career scientists and public health figures combatting such misinformation.
The West Coast Health Alliance formed in September to counter perceived dangerous conspiracy theories in US government.
Organizers say it aims to safeguard scientific expertise and ensure policy follows trusted qualified voices.
The four-state partnership will coordinate health guidelines aligned with respected national medical organizations.
This ensures all Americans receive consistent science-based recommendations despite shifting federal actions. – AFP
