STAT+: Vaccines take center stage at federal autism advisory committee
Comments about vaccines overshadowed an advisory committee meeting to discuss a plan for boosting federal funding for autism research.
The federal autism advisory committee convened on Thursday, with vaccines taking center stage as a potential cause of autism. Committee members explicitly identified vaccines as one possible trigger, despite the widespread debunking of such a link. Laura Cellini, founder and CEO of Elucidate ASD, a nonprofit advocating for more medical treatments for autism, stated that they remain open to investigating any potential triggers, including vaccines.
The committee's new strategic plan does not explicitly mention vaccines, but multiple public members brought up their children's regression into autism and connected it to vaccinations. Not a single committee member disputed these statements, signaling a new consensus on the committee. Greg Robinson, director of public policy at the Autistic Self Advocacy Network, noted this shift in the committee's approach.
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