RFK Jr. Says US Is Launching Massive Effort to Pinpoint Cause of Spiking Autism Rates

“By September, we’ll know what caused the autism outbreak, and we’ll be able to eliminate those exposures,” the health secretary said.

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said the US has begun a new “large” effort to learn what has caused autism rates in recent years.

“We have launched a massive testing and research effort involving hundreds of scientists from around the world,” Kennedy told a cabinet meeting in Washington on April 10.

“By September, we will know what caused the autism epidemic, and we can eliminate those exposures.”

It is not clear which researchers are involved. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

People on the autism spectrum have developmental disorders and can exhibit symptoms such as difficulty in communicating and suffering from problems such as seizures. Some may see therapists develop better life skills.

“Many different factors have been identified that can make a child more likely to have ASD, including environmental, biology and genetic factors,” the HHS website states.

Kennedy says there may be a link, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say the vaccine does not cause autism.

Some researchers say the rise in autism is driven in part by medical professionals as they can better diagnose the condition.

Kennedy campaigned on health and environmental issues as an independent candidate for the president in 2024, but later dropped out of the race. Later, after former President Donald Trump received Kennedy’s support, he chose Kennedy as the candidate, looking into the potential link between vaccines and autism with the aim of leading the HHS and bringing America healthy again (MAHA). Kennedy told the Epoch Times in late 2024 that he would revamp the National Institutes of Health, part of the HHS, to investigate the causes of autism and illness.

“Together, we will end the chronic disease outbreak and keep our children safe, healthy and disease-free,” Trump said in his inaugural address.

In February, Trump established the Maha Committee after the Senate confirmed Kennedy as health secretary. The White House said it will investigate “the root cause of the escalating health crisis in America.”

Trump said Thursday that the fact that so many children have autism is “a scary statistic and there needs to be something out there doing this.”

Speaking to Kennedy, he said: “So, do you think you have a pretty good idea? There’s no bigger press conference.”