Statement from ECRI President and CEO

Marcus Schabacker, MD, PhD

November 21, 2025 

The current scientific consensus, backed by decades of epidemiologic research, is that vaccination is not associated with autism. Attempting to counter that scientific consensus without credible new evidence fuels confusion that could threaten patient safety and undermine public health. The recent updates to the CDC’s website about vaccines and autism are concerning.

Vaccines have saved countless lives over more than a century, preventing the spread of infectious diseases and standing as one of the most effective public health interventions in history. ECRI is aligned with the many medical societies and healthcare associations nationwide who have expressed concern that injecting doubt into the scientific consensus without new data has serious implications for patients and public health.

At ECRI, we are dedicated to advancing evidence-based medicine and upholding the highest standards of scientific integrity. We support healthcare professionals, researchers, patients, and families who rely on accurate and trustworthy medical information.
These comprehensive literature reviews, which summarize the state of the evidence on this issue, point to the same conclusion – vaccination is not associated with autism:

• Safety of vaccines used for routine immunization in the United States: An updated systematic review and meta-analysis
• The vaccine–autism connection: No link, still debate, and we are failing to learn the lessons - Sheffali Gulati, Indar Kumar Sharawat, Prateek Kumar Panda, Sanjeev V Kothare, 2025
• Vaccines for measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella in children - PubMed
• Literature Reviews on Autism and Vaccines from the Autism Science Foundation 

About ECRI Clinical Evidence Assessments

ECRI’s clinical evidence assessments (CEAs) give an at-a-glance, unbiased view of the safety and effectiveness of healthcare interventions and treatments. The reports inform clinical quality improvement and patient safety initiatives and deliver insights that help decision-makers identify safe, evidence-based interventions.

For example, ECRI recently published these publicly available CEAs:

• The Science Behind Acetaminophen and Autism Concerns: Evidence does not indicate acetaminophen causes or contributes to autism. 
• Evidence review suggests COVID-19 vaccines safe for pregnant women and their babies 

Contact: Yvonne Rhodes, Associate Director of Strategic Communications & Operations, YRhodes@ECRI.org