CDC Will Offer Contract to Investigate Link Between Autism and Vaccination
- by Natasha Hobley
- Published
- Immune & Brain Disorders
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) intends to award a contract to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) to investigate links between autism prevalence and vaccination according to a notice on the federal website. The notice, posted in September 2025, indicated that the CDC planned to issue the fixed-price contract to the New York private research university based on its unique capability to study the intended group.1
“The vendor has unique ability to link children to maternal cohorts using proprietary databases and de-identified data sets, enabling advanced statistical analyses within the project’s timeframe,” stated the CDC.1
The CDC asked for a response to the application by Sept. 26, but there has been no further reporting on the status. A spokesperson for RPI said the institute is “is aware of and appreciates the DC’s intent to award the grant.”2
Juergen Hahn, PhD, would be the principal investigator if the contract is rewarded, the spokesperson said. Dr. Hahn is an RPI professor of biomedical engineering who has done extensive research surrounding autism. His work includes an experimental blood test that he says can detect autism in 96 percent of children. He also authored a 2017 paper that found statistical associations between heavy metals and autism.2
Hahn’s extensive research has also linked autism to having a biological sibling with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), maternal use of antidepressant medication, a mother’s surgical procedures and radiology exposure while pregnant, urinary tract infections while pregnant, and second term preterm delivery.2
“He is renowned for the quality and rigor of his research. If this project is awarded, he intends to publish the results of his work at the conclusion of the project,” an RPI spokesperson said.2
In an interview with RPI’s school newspaper The Polytechnic, Hahn explained that the project will build on previous studies that examined connections between ASD and co-occurring physiological conditions, as well as verification studies from previous research. Hahn stated that the CDC’s interest in RPI in particular stems from his group’s access to proprietary datasets through Optum Labs, a subsidiary of the medical healthcare giant UnitedHealth Group. These datasets also allow for access to complete childhood medical records linked to maternal data which provides for a level of detail unavailable in other studies.3
Meta-Analysis Finds Childhood Vaccination as “Most Dominant Modifiable Risk Factor” for Autism
A meta-analysis report recently run by the McCullough Foundation and published in October identified routine childhood vaccination as the “most dominant modifiable risk factor” for autism spectrum disorder. The report drew from more than 300 peer-reviewed studies.4
“Virtually every child receives a battery of vaccines, and the number increases every year,” said Peter McCullough, MD, MPH and lead author of the report.4
He continued: “What we saw were these patterns, which appear to be post-vaccination patterns. It’s not just autism—it’s ADHD, it’s seizures, and tics. This, to me, looks like a post-encephalitic pattern of brain inflammation after vaccines. It’s no specific vaccine or vaccine ingredient, but it’s the sum total effect in a susceptible child. And it is modifiable because we can modify the vaccines that are given.”4
WHO Rejects Link Between Autism and Vaccination
Last month, the World Health Organization (WHO) reaffirmed its stance that vaccines do not cause autism and that the “most robust scientific evidence consistently rejects a causal link between vaccines and ASD.”5
The WHO statement, which can be found on their website, also called on all national authorities to “rely on the latest science and ensure vaccines policies are grounded in the strongest available evidence.” The WHO also called for global efforts to ensure equitable access to safe vaccines, particularly in low and middle-income countries.5
Cumulative Vaccine Schedule Has Never Been Studied in its Entirety
As the WHO calls on countries to utilize the strongest available science, it is important to note that the entire CDC immunization schedule has never been studied in its entirety. Two former physicians have filed a lawsuit against the CDC for recommending the vaccine schedule without proving safety. The CDC currently recommends that children receive over 70 doses of more than a dozen vaccines, beginning at birth.6
The physicians acting as plaintiffs in the lawsuit are requesting that the cumulative childhood vaccine schedule be revised until it is proven safe. They also request that all vaccines be placed under an individual or “shared decision making” category, rather than a federally “recommended” category.6
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