Press Release: 11/24/2025

Governor Healey Condemns Federal Misinformation about Vaccines and Autism

 

“The science is real: Vaccines are safe, effective and lifesaving" 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

11/24/2025

MEDIA CONTACT

Karissa Hand, Press Secretary

 Phone

Call Karissa Hand, Press Secretary at 617-725-4025

BOSTON — Governor Maura Healey issued the following statement regarding the CDC adding inaccurate claims about links between vaccines and autism on its website at the direction of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. 

“It is disturbing and sad to witness the federal government undermining the very foundation of public health based on conspiracy theories and false information. But that's what’s been happening. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – once the world’s foremost source of evidence-driven public health guidance – has taken another step down a dangerous path shaped by ideology rather than science and data.  

“The posting last week on CDC’s website – at the direction of Secretary Kennedy – insinuating a link between vaccines and autism is the latest troubling installment. This claim is wrong and directly contradicts to decades of scientific research involving millions of people.  

“The science is real, and the evidence is overwhelming: there is no connection between vaccines and autism. Vaccines are safe, effective and lifesaving. They are the backbone of modern disease prevention and the well-being of our communities. Putting false information out there puts people at real risk. Parents need honest, accurate information that will give their kids the best start in life and keep them healthy and safe.    

“Claims that spread lies and cast doubt on proven science pose a serious threat to that health and safety. We have seen this before. In recent months, the CDC has issued guidance and promoted information that is baseless and misleading. This includes false claims about the dangers of Tylenol during pregnancy, unsupported shifts in COVID-19 vaccination recommendations, lies about the safety and effectiveness of fluoride in drinking water and deliberate efforts to remove or suppress vital information because it conflicts with the opinions of the Secretary.  

“Massachusetts is home to some of the best health care, the strongest public health system, and the most groundbreaking biomedical research in the world. That is why today, I stand firmly with Public Health Commissioner Dr. Robbie Goldstein and our Department of Public Health in rejecting in the strongest possible terms the misinformation now appearing on federal websites – including CDC’s. We advise Massachusetts residents to approach this content with caution because we no longer feel confident in or comfortable with the quality and accuracy of the information. Instead, we encourage Bay Staters to rely on health information provided by DPH and other state sources that are honest, evidence-based, and worthy of the public’s trust. Our residents deserve nothing less.    

“We will continue to be guided by reliable science and by the expertise of those on the front lines of medicine and public health. And we reject false claims that are rooted in ideology rather than evidence.”