Asger Risom
U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has promised to uncover the root cause of what he called the country’s “autism epidemic” by September, a deadline that has sparked both support and criticism from across the medical community.
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U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has promised to uncover the root cause of what he called the country’s “autism epidemic” by September, a deadline that has sparked both support and criticism from across the medical community.
Speaking during a cabinet meeting with President Donald Trump, Kennedy said a global research effort is already underway.
“At your direction, we’ll find out by September,” he told the president. “We’ve launched a broad testing and research initiative involving hundreds of scientists worldwide.”
As reported by Digi24, Kennedy claimed the project would pinpoint what’s fueling rising autism rates and identify exposures to eliminate.
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Autism diagnoses among American children have increased dramatically since 2000.
By 2020, 1 in 36 children aged 8 had been diagnosed with autism, up from 1 in 150 in 2000, according to CDC data.
Vaccines and Controversial Figures Back in Spotlight
Kennedy’s announcement has reignited longstanding debates about vaccines and developmental disorders.
He reiterated that the investigation will examine “everything”—from vaccines and environmental toxins to parenting styles and food systems.
“We’re going to look at the MMR vaccine,” Kennedy told Fox News, referencing the combination vaccine for measles, mumps, and rubella, which anti-vaccine activists have wrongly linked to autism.
The U.S. National Institutes of Health is preparing a multi-million dollar research program that will include studies on a possible MMR-autism connection.
The inclusion of discredited vaccine skeptic David Geier in the initiative has raised alarm among medical professionals and lawmakers.
Geier, who has been fined for practicing medicine without a license, previously promoted harmful autism treatments.
Kristyn Roth of the Autism Society of America said calling autism an “epidemic” is both “irresponsible and harmful,” warning that such rhetoric encourages paranoia and deepens stigma.
Colin Killick of the Autistic Self Advocacy Network accused Kennedy of continuing to spread disinformation with no scientific backing.
Trump Backs Aggressive Health Agenda
President Trump, who launched the “Make America Healthy Again” commission in February, has voiced full support for Kennedy’s push.
“There won’t be a more important press conference than the one where you give that answer,” he told Kennedy.
The commission has also been tasked with investigating rising rates of childhood asthma, ADHD prescriptions, and environmental health risks. Trump has hinted at major upcoming policies, including new pharmaceutical taxes.
While many scientists agree there’s still much to learn about autism’s root causes, most attribute rising diagnoses to expanded definitions and improved awareness, rather than a singular external trigger.
Whether Kennedy’s bold timeline can deliver actionable answers remains to be seen—but his approach has already sparked a national reckoning with the science, politics, and perception of autism in America.
