The CDC is allocating research funds to the disproven belief that vaccines cause autism, a move criticized for fostering stigma against both vaccines and autistic individuals. Parents like Matthew Shallenberger passionately advocate for vaccinations, especially in light of preventable diseases, disputing the vaccine-autism myth. This myth has resurfaced following the COVID-19 pandemic, driven by figures like Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Observers note this issue reflects broader societal misconceptions about autism, with some seeing autism itself as something negative or undesirable, challenged by advocates for scientific understanding and acceptance.
Lynne Peskoe-Yang, a 34-year-old Massachusetts-based journalist with autism, says the myth's persistence illustrates something disturbing about how the world sees autistic people—that because they are different, they must be contaminated somehow.
I would much rather my son be alive, healthy and autistic than dead from a preventable childhood illness. It's not even a decision, really. There is only one choice for me: vaccinate my kids.
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