Illinois Health Director Criticizes CDC Website Changes Suggesting False Vaccine–Autism Link (Springfield, IL) – Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. Sameer Vohra is pushing back against recent changes to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website that suggest a link between vaccines and autism — a claim long rejected by scientific research.
In a sharply worded statement released Wednesday, Vohra said the revised CDC language introduces “inaccurate information” that contradicts decades of evidence and risks fueling public confusion at a time when health officials are working to rebuild trust in routine immunizations.
“In Illinois, we follow scientific evidence, and the science is clear: vaccines are safe, effective, and save lives,” Vohra said. “Unfortunately, the nation is seeing our federal government, once again, reject established research and cause confusion about long debunked claims between autism and vaccines.”
According to IDPH, more than 40 large-scale studies involving millions of participants have found no association between childhood vaccines and autism. Health experts globally, including the World Health Organization, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the CDC itself for decades, have consistently affirmed that immunizations do not cause autism.
At the same time, Vohra noted, vaccines have an extensive track record of preventing serious infectious diseases such as measles, influenza, pertussis, hepatitis B, and polio — illnesses that can cause severe complications including pneumonia, brain swelling, paralysis, and death.
“Disinformation not only undermines trust; it may discourage families from seeking the protection that routine immunizations provide,” Vohra said. He added that amplifying debunked claims also “perpetuates harmful stigma against individuals with autism and their families.”
Illinois health officials say they remain committed to evidence-based public health practices and transparent communication as they work to combat misinformation.
“For more information about vaccines, visit the IDPH Immunization page or ask your healthcare provider,” the department said.
Illinois Health Director Criticizes CDC Website Changes Suggesting False Vaccine–Autism Link
