U.S. Federal Government Commits to No-Bid Contract for Autism and Vaccine Research
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services plans to award a no-bid contract to research potential links between vaccines and autism, raising questions within the scientific community.
In a recent development, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced plans to award a no-bid contract to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) to investigate potential links between vaccinations and autism. This decision, communicated through a government procurement notice, highlights RPI's unique capacity to analyze data on children and mothers, which is the basis for the exclusive contractual agreement. The contract concerns ongoing research efforts, with RPI's biotech engineering professor Juergen Hahn poised to utilize artificial intelligence and machine learning techniques to search for patterns in blood samples of children diagnosed with autism. RPI officials have emphasized the anticipated publication of findings at the project's conclusion.
The move has sparked questions within the scientific community, especially given the long-standing consensus that vaccines are not linked to autism. Experts like Alycia Halladay from the Autism Science Foundation expressed skepticism, noting that RPI is not traditionally recognized for access to relevant data and that the funds might be better allocated to other research avenues, such as genetics or environmental factors.
U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., known for his antivaccine stance before his appointment, previously announced a large-scale investigation into autism causes. Despite this, numerous rigorous studies over the past two decades have found no credible evidence supporting a connection between vaccines and autism. The controversy persists, partly fueled by political figures and misinformation.
The procurement notice also raises concerns about data access issues, with reports indicating that the CDC’s vaccine safety data has been difficult for researchers to access due to control by various organizations. Critics argue that this approach and expenditure divert resources from more established and evidence-based autism research, which emphasizes genetic and environmental factors. The scientific consensus remains that autism’s causes are complex, multifactorial, and not linked to vaccines.
Source: https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-09-trump-administration-award-vaccines-autism.html
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