Welcome
The Coalition of Autism Scientists formed in 2025 in reaction to U.S. Department for Health and Human Services' actions to dismiss decades of autism research and establish questionable research protocols without input from the autism community. The Coalition is comprised of the leading autism researchers from across the United States who advocate for high quality, transparent, and collaborative research approaches that inform the global understanding of autism. The Coalition will publicly refute misinformation about autism and monitor progress by the federal government in supporting the highest quality research that addresses the priority needs of the autism community.
Coalition of Autism Scientists: More Evidence Shows There is No Link Between Vaccines and Autism
February 11, 2026 – New research today presented at the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine (SMFM) 2026 Pregnancy Meeting™ shows that the “mRNA COVID-19 vaccine is not associated with autism or other neurodevelopmental problems in children whose mothers received the vaccine immediately before or during pregnancy.” (1)
This study adds to the voluminous and decades-long body of research demonstrating that vaccines are safe and do not increase risk for autism. Hundreds of studies demonstrate that vaccination protect individuals, particularly the most vulnerable in our community, against potentially fatal diseases. On the other hand, female children born after their mothers have COVID-19 in early pregnancy may have an increased chance of developing autism spectrum disorder, according to a 2026 Kaiser Permanente analysis, (2) providing additional rationale to get vaccinated.
The Coalition of Autism Scientists supports broad vaccination of children and adults in line with recommendations from major medical societies like the American Academy of Pediatrics. When major public figures question vaccine safety in direct contradiction to available evidence, and public confidence is shaken, it inevitably leads to increased rates of infectious disease and epidemics. Notably, the measles outbreak in South Carolina would be contained if people got vaccinated.
As head of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Secretary Kennedy has sown doubt about the appropriate use of vaccines and autism research in general. He is using his position to fill leadership positions with non-experts who support his well-known anti-vaccination views, excluding experienced scientists.
The Coalition of Autism Scientists will continue to speak factually and forcefully about science that protects individuals and their families, and advocate for the autistic community.
References:
1. Oral abstract #8 “Association between SARS-CoV-2 vaccine in pregnancy and child neurodevelopment at 18-30 months” will be published in the February 2026 issue of PREGNANCY, the official peer-reviewed medical journal of the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine.
2. Croen, L.A., Qian, Y., Grosvenor, L. et al. SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy and neurodevelopmental outcomes in early childhood. Transl Psychiatry 16, 68 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41398-026-03818-9 https://www.nature.com/articles/s41398-026-03818-9#citeas