Massachusetts Officials Condemn “Dangerous” Vaccine Misinformation on CDC Website

Massachusetts health officials have begun systematically removing links to federal health resources from their websites after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published statements this week suggesting a possible link between vaccines and autism, a claim long discredited by scientific research.

Dr. Robbie Goldstein, Massachusetts commissioner of public health, expressed deep concern over the CDC’s position change, calling it “dangerous and alarming.” Goldstein warned that such statements will likely increase vaccine hesitancy and lead to outbreaks of preventable diseases.

“It’s a terrible moment for our country when we have federal Health and Human Services, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, putting out information that is going to directly harm children,” Goldstein told WBUR.

The CDC website now includes language stating that “studies have not ruled out the possibility that infant vaccines cause autism,” marking a dramatic departure from decades of scientific consensus. This revision contradicts the overwhelming body of research showing no connection between vaccines and autism spectrum disorders.

For generations, the CDC has served as a trusted source of medical information for healthcare providers and the general public. Goldstein, who previously worked at the CDC himself, noted this trust has been broken.

“Unfortunately, we’re in a moment right now where we can’t trust what’s on CDC’s web pages,” he said. “We can’t trust what is coming out of the federal government.”

Massachusetts health officials have launched what Goldstein described as a methodical process to scrub CDC references from state health resources. “We’re going page by page, link by link,” he explained, noting they are working to replace these with alternative, scientifically sound information sources.

This represents just the latest divergence between Massachusetts and federal health policy under the current administration. Earlier this year, Governor Maura Healey’s administration joined a coalition of states to issue independent COVID-19 vaccine guidance after federal recommendations were weakened. Healey also implemented measures to increase COVID vaccine accessibility across the state.

The CDC operates under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which is now led by Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a well-documented vaccine skeptic. Prior to his appointment to the Trump administration, Kennedy built a reputation promoting vaccine misinformation—views that now appear to be influencing federal health policy.

Dr. Olivia Liao, president of the Massachusetts Medical Society, issued a statement Thursday emphasizing that scientific evidence has demonstrated no credible link between vaccines and autism. She warned that the spread of misinformation threatens patient health and damages the doctor-patient relationship.

Massachusetts pediatricians report growing vaccine hesitancy among families, despite the state historically maintaining among the highest vaccination rates nationwide. State health officials confirm these rates have been declining in recent years—a trend that could accelerate with conflicting messages from federal authorities.

The American Academy of Pediatrics continues to recommend children receive all standard immunizations during early childhood, including vaccines that protect against measles, whooping cough, hepatitis, and polio. Dr. Susan J. Kressly, the organization’s president, issued a forceful statement challenging the CDC’s new position.

“We call on the CDC to stop wasting government resources to amplify false claims that sow doubt in one of the best tools we have to keep children healthy and thriving: routine immunizations,” Kressly said.

This growing divide between state and federal health authorities creates challenges for healthcare providers and potentially increases public confusion about vaccine safety—a situation public health experts fear could reverse decades of progress against preventable diseases. Massachusetts’ decision to distance itself from CDC guidance signals a significant crisis of confidence in what was once the nation’s premier public health institution.