Vaccines, Autism, and Politics of Misinformation
S Krishnaswamy
SRIDHAR Vembu, known for the Zoho software and Arattai social media platforms which are being pushed by the ruling dispensation, is also known for his back-to-the-future traditionalist ideas.He recently made the controversial and unsubstantiated claim that childhood vaccines lead to autism. His claim, based on an unreviewed report from the McCullough Foundation, have understandably sparked controversy since it is clearly based on false information and ignores decades of thorough scientific research that unequivocally shows that vaccines are efficacious, safe and do not cause autism. The World Health Organisation (WHO), the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the Indian Academy of Paediatrics (IAP), all consistently affirm vaccine safety and efficacy. Multiple large-scale studies too have thoroughly investigated linkages if any with autism, and have found no connection between childhood vaccines and autism spectrum disorder.
DEBUNKED MYTH
The source of this misinformation is the now-discredited work of Andrew Wakefield, whose 1998 paper in the journal Lancet falsely connected the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine to autism and has been fully retracted. Due to major ethical transgressions, including data fabrication, even Wakefield's medical license was revoked. Unfortunately, the myth that vaccines cause autism endures, especially in anti-vax circles,despite the overwhelming evidence to the contrary, and some public figures like Peter McCullough, who co-authored the McCullough Foundation report, which has never been peer-reviewed, promote such ideas. With a wide range of severity and traits, Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a complex neuro-developmental disorder characterised by challenges with communication, social interaction, and repetitive behaviour. ASD is influenced by both environmental and genetic factors, but not by vaccines. Since there are no specific laboratory tests for detecting ASD, the diagnosis of autism is made by closely observing a child's developmental milestones and behaviour, as well as by gathering information from parents and a comprehensive medical history. At critical ages, particularly 18 and 24 months, paediatricians frequently perform screenings using behavioural assessments and developmental checklists. Depending on the results, developmental paediatricians or psychologists conduct specialised evaluations. Increased awareness, expanded diagnostic criteria, and improved recognition are the causes of rising autism rates rather than vaccines.
There is no consistent evidence of a link between vaccines, especially the MMR vaccine or vaccines containing the preservative thimerosal, and autism, according to extensive epidemiological studies involving millions of children worldwide, including seminal studies conducted in Denmark, the United States, Japan, and the United Kingdom. Together, findings from more than 12 robust studies covering 2 million children tracked over long periods of time consistently demonstrate that vaccines do not raise the risk of autism. Meta analyses show no discernible link between vaccination and risk of autism.
DEADLY COSTS OF MISINFORMATION
Experts have cautioned that spreading false information like this can have huge repercussions, since some parents influenced by these false notions may choose not to vaccinate their children, which could lead to the resurgence of deadly but preventable diseases that have been reduced or eradicated. Due to anti-vaccine propaganda, measles cases more than doubled in the UK in 2023, and outbreaks in the US have resulted in the first measles-related fatality since 2015. In many areas of the US, vaccination rates have fallen below the herd immunity threshold, mainly due to rising vaccine hesitancy stoked by unfounded allegations of links to autism. In December 2018, in Uttar Pradesh, there were fake messages circulated on WhatsApp that claimed RSS and the Modi government were making Muslim children impotent through MMR vaccines. This led to many Madrassas across Western UP refusing permission to health department teams to administer the MMR vaccine to their students, thereby exposing lakhs of children to the deadly contagious disease. Through immediate responses by Government health departments and Muslim clerics, the damage from misinformation was limited. In the United States, the recent appointment of David Geier, a well-known vaccine sceptic who has long supported false claims of a vaccine-autism connection. as head of a government study to examine this purported link has worsened the situation. In addition to facing professional disciplinary actions for unethical practices, such as practising medicine without a license, Geier and his father published flawed research suggesting vaccines increase the risk of autism. Giving a vaccine sceptic this role, according to public health experts, could damage public confidence in public health organisations like the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and legitimise harmful misinformation at a crucial juncture when vaccine-preventable diseases are on the rise. Despite the overwhelming body of scientific evidence refuting these claims, prominent politicians like the US President Donald Trump and the US Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. have also openly connected vaccines and autism, escalating the controversy. Unfortunately, vaccine hesitancy and gaps in immunisation coverage have already contributed to outbreaks worldwide causing the deaths of more than 140,000 people — mostly young children — from measles, a disease preventable by timely vaccination.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that over the past 50 years, vaccination campaigns have prevented the deaths of about 154 million people worldwide, the majority of whom were infants under the age of one year. Resources and efforts should be directed toward helping autistic people, increasing access to vaccines, and fostering public confidence in science rather than endorsing debunked theories.
IDEOLOGICAL ALIGNMENTS
Sridhar Vembu's vaccine scepticism is not only the result of poor scientific judgment; rather, it is a reflection of deep ideological affinities that align with the ruling dispensation in the US. Vembu's public doubts about the safety of vaccines and their purported connection to autism, a narrative replete with false information from dubious sources like Andrew Wakefield and the McCullough Foundation, subtly reflect political currents that favour individual scepticism over institutional expertise when it suits them.
One must recollect Narayanamurthy, the co-founder of Infosys, and his notorious 70-hour workweek proposal. His perspective, widely accepted in corporate India and elsewhere in the chatterati, embodies the capitalist ideal in which labour gets exploited at the cost of personal happiness or the welfare of workers. Bill Gates' controversial suggestion of shifting funding priorities from climate change initiatives to urgent public health, food, and nutrition issues is another example of this ideological disposition in action. Such a redirection argument illustrates how power and money can shape scientific and policy agendas while also seemingly highlighting legitimate concerns about global health disparities. It demonstrates how overinflated egos of corporate billionaires and philanthropic capital can reframe global crises to suit their own policy agendas.
Vembu's doubts about vaccines are not accidental; they are part of a broader trend in which people—whether they be donors, legislators, or business owners—intersect with political-economic authority to gain legitimacy and influence. Scientists and intellectuals are known to align themselves with power structures, sometimes intentionally or unintentionally, to gain favours, financial concessions, or influence. It is especially seen under authoritarian regimes, as observed in Nazi Germany. Even at the expense of scientific integrity or the general welfare of society, this dynamic can show in misinformed or misleading narratives that become acceptable to prevailing political or economic interests.
