West Coast Health Alliance Says Vaccines Do Not Cause Autism and Warns Families About Misleading CDC Claims

The West Coast Health Alliance (WCHA) confirmed on Friday that the organization stands with scientific evidence showing that vaccines are not linked to autism, and strongly recommends vaccines to protect our children.

WCHA, an interstate coalition compact between California, Oregon, and Washington that coordinates public health guidelines, noted that rigorous research of millions of people in multiple countries over decades delivered high-quality evidence that vaccines are not linked to autism and expressed deep concerns about inaccurate claims to the contrary recently posted on the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.

Vaccines are thoroughly tested and remain one of the most essential tools for preventing infectious diseases.

Families are encouraged to seek information about autism from trusted health care providers and reputable medical organizations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics. As a complex neurodevelopmental condition, autism has multiple contributing genetic and environmental factors.

Suggesting that autism stems from any single cause, such as vaccination, is misleading and potentially harmful to autistic individuals and their families.

WCHA said that public health guidance on immunization must be grounded in credible, evidence-based science to help parents and caregivers who may be receiving conflicting or inaccurate messages about vaccination.