Kennedy repeatedly contradicted both developing and established science on autism in his first press conference since becoming Secretary of Health and Human Services.
“This is a preventable disease. We know it’s an environmental exposure. It has to be. Genes do not cause epidemics,“ he said, without providing evidence, at an auditorium packed with reporters and supporters of his “Make America Healthy Again” movement.
He stopped short of mentioning vaccines on Wednesday, referring to “medicines” in a list of things he said he would commission a series of studies to look at, such as mold, air, water, food, and others, without providing evidence for their inclusion.
The causes of autism are unclear, although experts say it likely results from a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Many experts largely attribute the autism rate increase to widespread screening and the inclusion of a wider range of behaviors to define the condition.
Autism has a strong genetic component, said Karen Pierce, Co-Director of the Autism Center of Excellence at University of California San Diego, but it cannot explain all cases of autism. She noted that only about 10% of cases can be explained by a single, specific gene.
Kennedy repeatedly referred on Wednesday to data released by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention the day before showing that the prevalence of autism spectrum disorder in the U.S. among 8-year-olds in 2022 had risen to 1 in every 31. The data was published in the CDC's weekly report. The study said the increase can reflect screening.
“The way he presented the narrative was that, you know, the scientific community was dismissive of any environmental effects and that’s simply not true,“ said Dr. Peter Hotez, co-director of the Center for Vaccine Development at Texas Children’s Hospital, who is also the author of a book about his daughter’s autism diagnosis.
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