Media Watch
I’m autistic, psychologists say,
So I can’t be a poet today?
I’ve taken the time
To compose a rhyme
So, what do you think, RFK?
I shouldn’t have to write this.
The myth that there is a link between vaccines and autism has been thoroughly debunked. There is no connection between vaccination and autism. None at all.
I haven’t written on autism in the news for a year, and I try to stay out of the politics of foreign countries in my blog posts as much as possible. However, some stories shine brightly (or in this case darkly) and deserve attention. This uninspiring story from the USA has captured the British news since February, and it continues to resonate. As I posted on Autism Acceptance/Awareness Month at its beginning I’ll conclude with another one that reflects this momentum.
It goes like this:
- On 20th January 2025 Donald Trump was inaugurated as President of the United States of America.
- On the 29th and 30th January, Robert F Kennedy Jr (known as RFK Jr or RFK), Trump’s choice to lead the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) was quizzed by the Senate Finance Committee and the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions.
- On the 13th February RFK was appointed head of the HHS.
At the Senate Finance Committee on 29th January, Kennedy was queried about his views on vaccines, but was not forced to speak much about his beliefs about vaccines and autism.
The Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions meeting on 30th January focused on Kennedy’s views on vaccines and autism. Kennedy had regularly repeated long-debunked claims about vaccines and autism as the founder and former chairman of Children’s Health Defense, a nonprofit that spreads vaccine misinformation.
Many senators at that meeting fervently highlighted the overwhelming body of research that irrefutably disproves any link between vaccines and autism. They pointed to the landmark 2019 Danish study on the MMR vaccine (Measles, Mumps, and Rubella), which meticulously examined all children born in Denmark to Danish-born mothers from 1999 to 2010, with years of follow-up. The results were crystal clear: no increased risk of autism among vaccinated children, even those with siblings affected by autism or other risk factors. Additionally, a compelling study published in the journal Vaccine by Australian researchers boldly proclaims, “Vaccines are not associated with autism: An evidence-based meta-analysis of case-control and cohort studies.” The title alone speaks volumes!
A flawed study
Kennedy, in reply, cited a flawed document. He said, “There’s a study that came out last week of 47,000 9-year-olds in the Medicaid system in Florida — I think a Louisiana scientist called Mawson — that shows the opposite.”
Kennedy referred to the study “Vaccination and Neurodevelopmental Disorders: A Study of Nine-Year-Old Children Enrolled in Medicaid” by Anthony R. Mawson and Binu Jacob, which was tagged as Peer Reviewed, Clinical Research, and Science.
Problems with this study include:
- It is not available on PubMed Central, the National Institutes of Health’s database of biomedical research.
- Neither was it indexed on MEDLINE, which requires some evaluation of journal quality.
- The two authors, including lead author Anthony Mawson, are affiliated with Chalfont Research Institute in Mississippi. According to IRS records, the institute does not have a website and appears to use a residential home as a mailing address.
- Both authors have previously published work on vaccines that has been retracted.
- The paper was funded by the National Vaccine Information Center, an anti-vaccine group.
- (Source: factcheck.org).
And now for the President himself. Donald Trump, in a meeting with some of his cabinet, which included Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr, said that “something” is causing higher autism levels across the U.S., possibly including vaccinations, despite this theory having been thoroughly debunked. “You stop taking something, you stop eating something, or maybe it’s a shot,” Trump mused, “but something’s causing it.” (Source: The Independent).
The Independent also cited a Twitter post by Trump from 2014, “Healthy young child goes to doctor, gets pumped with massive shot of many vaccines, doesn’t feel good and changes – AUTISM. Many such cases!”
But there are important reasons behind what is often referred to as the Autism Epidemic. The new criteria for diagnosis in the DSM-5 regulations of 2013 have made it possible for more individuals to receive diagnoses, as the definitions of classic autism have been broadened. Additionally, conditions like Asperger’s Syndrome, pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS), and childhood disintegrative disorder have been thoughtfully integrated into a unified diagnostic category known as Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD), ensuring that those who need support can receive it.
Add to that the many adults who are diagnosed after being misdiagnosed or ignored earlier. Put it together, we’re better at diagnosing autism, the criteria are wider, and there’s a backlog of adult diagnoses. Yes, the numbers will statistically increase.
Measles outbreak
Measles was declared eliminated in the United States in 2000, towards the end of Donald Trump’s first term as President. But there’s a complication. The World Health Organisation reports three measles outbreaks in the USA since January 2025 involving 17 states, with the Texas outbreak affecting Mexico. Before you go blaming the Biden administration, a quick look at the statistics of these outbreaks shows that the majority of cases are in children who are unvaccinated or have unknown vaccination status, and the overall hospitalisation rate is 17%, which is very high.
Despite a history of vaccine denial, Kennedy, as head of the HHS, has had to allow further rollout of the MMR vaccine.
RFK on poetry
Kennedy said in a meeting on Wednesday 23rd April 2025, in the middle of Autism Awareness/Acceptance Month, that Autistic Children will never write a poem. This is how that statement makes me feel.
I see a darker shade of darkness
I hear a shadow hide in the light
I feel a suffocating tension
Within a terrible desire
That lyric, from the song “The End of Things” by Autistic musician Gary Numan, counts as poetry, yes?
It gets worse. What RFK Jr said was, “Autism, he said, “destroys” families; today’s autistic children “will never pay taxes. They’ll never hold a job. They’ll never play baseball. They’ll never write a poem. They’ll never go out on a date. Many of them will never use a toilet unassisted.”” (Source: The Guardian).
One good thing to come out of this ignorance and abuse is that there have been articles in newspapers with autistic poets, like this one, https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2025/04/rfk-kennedy-hhs-autism-diagnoses-poet/
That article spreads understanding and acceptance of autism, as it should.
As I started with a limerick, I’ll end with a haiku.
Neglect and abuse
from the people in power;
Destroyed by measles.
Making an ass of myself 
Hello from the UK
The problem with autism is it has been so widely drawn that it could include most people, even if only in a mild way.
The question re vaccines should not be do they cause autism (a clinical diagnosis based on behaviour not actual cause) but do they cause harm, particularly to the fragile developing brains of children.
As vaccines contain toxic ingredients as they must to cause an immune response the answer is yes, they do. How much depends on the vaccine and what is really in each vial.
Hi alphaandomega21
You said, “The problem with autism is it has been so widely drawn that it could include most people, even if only in a mild way.”
More people are being diagnosed under DSM5 than through previous diagnostic systems, but it is at best one in forty, 2.5%, that is far from “most people.”
You also said that the question on vaccines was, “Do they cause harm.” Of course they do. But it is also a stupid question. We should be asking how many lives are saved by vaccines and how much the spread of disease is slowed by vaccines? and how are people helped by vaccines? them compare that to the number of people harmed and the level of that harm. I do not think we should listen to advice from the anti-vaxx lobby unless they are comparing the level of potential harm done to the potential good done. Until I see this I will be staunchly pro-vaccine.
Hi Steve
Thank you for your reply. You need to read my comment more carefully. I said autism COULD include most people; I was not talking about actual diagnoses.
Again the question re vaccines ‘Do they cause harm’ is the one that should be asked rather than ‘do they cause autism’ as the latter question is a red herring designed to obscure the issue.
It is therefore not a stupid question. The issue we are discussing is the one of harm not any benefit of vaccines, an entirely different matter. At least though you agree they cause harm.
However as to the question of any benefit and how many people are allegedly saved or disease slowed by vaccines it is in fact an impossible question to answer as one cannot prove a negative. That is, one cannot say an earlier injection of something that is, as you agree, harmful will give benefit to people years later. Too many other factors are at play.
In other words we can be sure of harm to varying degrees by injecting toxic/irritant substance into a body, but there is no proof of benefit, save a manipulation of statistics, persistent advertising by the medical pharma complex and rebranding of disease, defined by those who profit from it.
If people rationally think about it, they would realise that we are constantly told not to poison ourselves with various chemicals which have hazard warning signs, yet when it comes to vaccines people lose their sanity and say ‘Yes’ to being injected by similar things.
It is the companies that seek to profit from injecting poisonous substances into people that advise people to take them, and anybody who takes such advice from them is a complete ass.
Again you said. “The issue we are discussing is the one of harm not any benefit of vaccines, an entirely different matter.” No. I was talking about the benefits of vaccines in the original post. Please refrain from changing the subject. If you wish to discuss it you have a blog of your own. I suggest you use it rather than derailing someone elses. You have the rite of free speech. You do not have the right to do that on someone elses blog, or they on yours.
You also said. “At least though you agree they cause harm.” please retract this libel. I was clear in my reply that I believe in the effectiveness and vast benefits of vaccines.
This: “However as to the question of any benefit and how many people are allegedly saved or disease slowed by vaccines it is in fact an impossible question to answer as one cannot prove a negative.” Wrong again. Smallpox has been all but iradicated. What once was a major killer crops up now and again but there are stocks ov vaccines given to the local area and to contacts of those affecred. The stochs are also there to stop smallpox being used as a weapon. Smallpox=dead CDC
Again you: “In other words we can be sure of harm to varying degrees by injecting toxic/irritant substance into a body, but there is no proof of benefit.” Nope. See above.
You continued… “but there is no proof of benefit, save a manipulation of statistics, persistent advertising by the medical pharma complex and rebranding of disease, defined by those who profit from it.” Evidence of the manipulation please and of the medical pharma complex conspiracy please.
I have thought rationally about it, and with so many people giong into the medical professions because they care for people, I find it hard to believe that if there were a conspiracy the whistle would not have been blown. Caring people have done their jobs, and risk assessment has been done. You would certainly not be an ass to take a vaccine after this. Only if you wilfully ignore the vast amounts of positive data to concentrate on the miniscule risks could you say this.
Thank you again. I have enjoyed researching and writing this. I now feel confident that the Doctors and scietists are brilliant people doing the right thing.
I hope to see your contrary data, or evidence of what you say the medical pharma are doing, should you reply.
Steve.
Dear Steve
You should reread your post. You are attempting to dispute the notion that vaccines cause autism. This relates to alleged harm, not benefits, and that is what I raised, hence our discussion.
You explicitly agreed with my question “Do they cause harm.” with “Of course they do” in your first reply to me. I have it in black and white. You want to say that is balanced by the alleged benefits, but that does not negate the fact that harm is caused. The level and frequency of harm is another matter.
My intention was to challenge your notion that vaccines don’t cause autism by reframing the question that should be asked and to see if you might think again. Plenty of people have been warning about vaccines and not just in relation to autism, but big pharma has big pockets and has significant control/influence of the very organisations designed to protect us. Money talks sadly.
You should consider the fact that there is in the USA, for example, the 1986 National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act was passed because of claims made against pharma companies. If vaccines were so beneficial they would sell themselves without this, but clearly they are not.
There are huge vested interests at play in the pharmaceutical industry and it should be born in mind that healthy people are not profitable to it. Those who go into the medical profession seeking to care for people have a battle royal on their hands against the leviathan.
Some have blown the whistle and paid for it by being sacked or license to practice revoked. There is a doctor in Cornwall who I understand is under threat for speaking out about the COVID vaccines. He does video discussions with various people who have suffered vaccine injuries. Here is a link.
https://drdavidcartland.substack.com/p/letter-to-the-gmc
the 1986 National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act has paid out very little, despite having more lenient proofs than a scientific case. Where is all this harm you talk about?
The Misconduct and Harassment hearing against Dr David Cartland will be held starting on 11th to 26th June this year. I shall reserve my comments until after the hearing. https://www.gmc-uk.org/registrants/6166423
Big Pharma, how convenient. The myth of Big Pharma is very convenient for conspiracy theorists because they can dismiss any evidence, no matter how large and how well researched it is and dismiss it out of hand by saying Big Pharma. Yes, I did say myth, and I’m standing by it. You have said that Big Pharma are doing things. I asked for proof, you gave none.
Please do not reply unless it is with verifiable proof. For everything else. please keep the stupidity of conspiracy theories and your other lies off my blog.
You are trying to distract from my point that the 1986 National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act is designed to protect the vaccine industry.
[This tangent to the subject of the original post stops now – SP]
[Abusive contentt removed – SP]
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