WHO expert group’s new analysis reaffirms there is no link between vaccines and autism

By Admin

12 Dec, 2025

A new global analysis by the World Health Organization’s (WHO) expert committee has once again reaffirmed what decades of scientific research already made clear vaccines do not cause autism. The findings strengthen confidence in childhood immunization at a time when misinformation remains widespread.

WHO’s Global Advisory Committee on Vaccine Safety (GACVS)   an independent body formed in 1999   presented its latest review on 27 November 2025, examining the relationship between vaccines and autism spectrum disorders (ASD). The committee brought together international scientists to evaluate the most robust, updated evidence from around the world.

Thiomersal & Vaccines: No Causal Link to Autism
The analysis began with an extensive review of thiomersal-containing vaccines and their alleged association with ASD. By examining 31 primary research studies published between January 2010 and August 2025   covering large populations across multiple countries   the committee found no causal connection. These studies consistently reinforce the positive safety profile of vaccines used in childhood and pregnancy.

Aluminum Adjuvants Also Found Safe
Beyond thiomersal, the committee evaluated decades of research on aluminum-containing vaccines, drawing on studies conducted from 1999 to March 2023. A major highlight was a large cohort study from Denmark, analyzing nationwide registry data of children born between 1997 and 2018. The conclusion remained the same: no link exists between aluminum in vaccines and autism. The trace amounts of aluminum used in vaccines help boost immune response   and remain safe.

Reaffirming Past Conclusions
This new review further strengthens earlier GACVS verdicts from 2002, 2004, and 2012, all of which concluded that vaccines   including those containing thiomersal and aluminum   do not cause ASD. The evidence, spanning decades and continents, continues to point in one direction: vaccines are safe.

A Call to Trust Science and Strengthen Immunization Policies
WHO urges governments and health authorities worldwide to rely on strong scientific evidence when shaping vaccine policies. Childhood immunization has long been one of humanity’s greatest public health achievements. Over the past 50 years, vaccines have saved at least 154 million lives, improving health outcomes, economic prosperity, and societal well-being.

The latest analysis is not just a scientific reaffirmation   it's an important message for parents, policymakers, and communities: vaccines protect lives, and they do not cause autism.