WHO confirms that vaccines are not linked to autism. The Committee on Safety cites years of scientific evidence refuting these claims. Re-emphasizes the safety of vaccines.
The World Health Organization (WHO) Committee on Vaccine Safety said on Thursday that new reviews of scientific evidence found no link between vaccines and autism spectrum disorder. This confirmed the scientific conclusions of more than two decades ago, writes TASR according to the Reuters agency.
The WHO Global Advisory Committee on Vaccine Safety assessed two systematic reviews including studies published between 2010 and August 2025. They looked at vaccines in general and also vaccines with thiomersal, an organic mercury-based preservative compound. It is used to prevent the growth of bacteria and mold, but its critics claim, without scientific basis, that it contributes to autism. Scientific studies have repeatedly failed to confirm this.
Methodological shortcomings
A causal link (cause and effect) between vaccines and health outcomes is considered only when a statistical link is consistently demonstrated by several high-quality studies, the committee said.
Twenty of the 31 studies found no evidence of a link between vaccines and autism, the WHO said. Eleven studies that suggested a possible link had significant methodological flaws and a high risk of bias, according to the committee.
Skeptical attitudes
Last month, US Secretary of Health Robert F. Kennedy Jr. told the New York Times that he had personally directed the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to reverse its longstanding position that vaccines do not cause autism.
Critics label Kennedy Jr. for disseminating misinformation about vaccination, which can lead to a decrease in vaccination rates and subsequent disease outbreaks. Doctors consider a high level of vaccination to be crucial for the protection of public health.
