Kennedy’s Promise to Know the Cause of the Autism Epidemic by September is Arrogant and Nonsensical
Washington, D.C.- Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced on Thursday that “by September [2025], we will know what has caused the autism epidemic” in the United States.
Public Citizen Health Research Group Director Dr. Robert Steinbrook released the following statement:
“HHS Secretary Kennedy’s promise to know the cause of the autism epidemic within 6 months makes no sense. Although everyone would like to know the cause or causes of autism as soon as possible, promising scientific progress by a certain date reflects a fundamental misunderstanding of how research works.
“Scientists have been studying autism for years without finding a single cause; a complex combination of genetic and environmental factors is thought to be involved. The NIH spends more than $300 million annually on autism research.
“History is littered with failed predictions about scientific and technological progress. In 1984, then HHS Secretary Margaret Heckler said at a press conference that an AIDS vaccine would be available in two years, acknowledging later that her prediction ‘turned out to be totally incorrect.’ In 2025, the world is still waiting for a safe and effective AIDS vaccine.
“Few have been so reckless as to promise solutions to complicated and longstanding medical challenges in a matter of months. Kennedy reminds us yet again that he is completely unqualified for his position.”
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, “autism spectrum disorder is a neurological and developmental disorder that affects how people interact with others, communicate, learn, and behave.” Although the disorder can be diagnosed at any age, symptoms generally appear in the first two years of life.