1,893 Measles Cases

In The Politics of Autism, I analyze the myth that vaccines cause autism. This bogus idea can hurt people by allowing diseases to spread.    Examples include measles, COVID, flu, and polio.  A top antivaxxer is HHS Secretary RFK Jr. He is part of the "Disinformation Dozen." He helped cause a deadly 2019 measles outbreak in Samoa.

CDC:

As of May 14, 2026, 1,893 confirmed* measles cases were reported in the United States in 2026. Among these, 1,884 measles cases were reported by 40 jurisdictions: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York City, New York State, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. A total of 9 measles cases were reported among international visitors to the United States.

Bischops A, Hulland E, Patzakis M et al. Will the USA lose its measles elimination status?
The Lancet, 407, 1679-1681

Four of seven indicators of sustained measles elimination status have already been missed, and the remaining three indicators are unlikely to be achieved (pending further epidemiological and genomic analyses; figure). In the 53 outbreaks, over 93 cases per 10 million people were reported. 94% of cases were transmitted locally, and most sequenced cases shared the same virus genotype. Although national case numbers decreased after a surge in April, 2025, they increased steeply in January, 2026, resulting in 285 (75·8%) of 376 days since January, 2025, with a median Rt estimate above the propagation threshold of 1·0 (appendix p 4). This estimate suggests that transmission was likely ongoing in the USA for the majority of the previous year. Even though our most recent Rt estimate (Feb 16, 2026) was below 1 (median 0·60, 95% CI 0·51–0·70), our projections suggest that case counts might ramp up again before the PAHO decision (appendix p 7). Our findings remained largely unchanged in sensitivity analyses for both Rt estimates and case projections (appendix pp 4–11). Short-horizon back checks for the daily incidence projections are shown in the appendix (pp 12–14). A negative binomial model that accounted for overdispersion in measles case counts produced Rt estimates similar to those from the presented Poisson-based model (appendix p 15).

In 2025, the USA had the largest number of annual measles cases since 1991. Although the current outbreak initially started with imported cases, most infections resulted from local transmission. This pattern likely reflects declining vaccination coverage, which—for kindergarteners in the 2024–25 school year—remained below the 95% required to achieve herd immunity against measles (>95% threshold). With confirmed cases in 45 states and ongoing transmission throughout the majority of the year, current trends suggest that the USA is nearing the loss of elimination status.

Yet Another Potential Correlate: Maternal Occupation History

 In The Politics of Autism, I discuss various ideas about what causes the condition.  Dozens of potential causes and correlates have been the subject of scientific and medical research.

Dickerson AS, Liu Y, Ladd-Acosta C, et al Associations between maternal occupational history and autism spectrum disorder diagnosis in offspring in Denmark Occupational and Environmental Medicine Published Online First: 12 May 2026. doi: 10.1136/oemed-2026-110912

Abstract

Objectives We investigated associations between maternal occupations and a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in offspring.

Methods We obtained data for 1702 ASD cases born between 1973 and 2012 from the Danish National Patient Registry and matched each case to up to 100 population based controls based on sex and birth year (n=110 234). Mothers’ employment histories were obtained from the Danish Pension Fund Registry. Conditional logistic regression models were used to test associations between occupations held ever, 1 year before conception, during pregnancy and during infancy, adjusting for the mother’s age and history of neuropsychiatric disorders, parity and residential location.

Results There were increased odds of having a child with ASD for mothers who were employed before conception up to infancy in ground transportation (adjusted OR (aOR) 1.24, 95% CI 1.08 to 1.42; q=0.036), public administration (aOR 1.20, 95% CI 1.07 to 1.35; q=0.018) and military/defence occupations (aOR 1.59, 95% CI 1.39 to 1.82; q<0.001). Associations for judicial occupations and military/defence service were also apparent 1 year before conception and during pregnancy. We observed sex differences, with significant associations in male children for employment in ground transportation and defence occupations.

Conclusions Associations between certain maternal employment categories with high toxicant or psychosocial stress exposure suggest future studies should focus on examining specific toxicant exposures common in those occupations and neurodevelopment in offspring. This is of particular concern for associations seen for occupations held several years before conception.

A partial list of other potential causes and correlates: 

1. Inflammatory bowel disease
2. Pesticides
3. Air pollution and proximity to freeways
4. Maternal thyroid issues
5. Autoimmune disorders
6. Induced labor
7. Preterm birth
8. Fever  
9. Birth by cesarean section;
10. Anesthesia during cesarean sections
11. Maternal and paternal obesity
12. Maternal diabetes
13. Maternal and paternal age
14. Grandparental age
15. Maternal post-traumatic stress disorder
16. Maternal anorexia
17. Smoking during pregnancy
18. Cannabis use during pregnancy
19. Antidepressant use during pregnancy
20. Polycystic ovary syndrome
21. Infant opioid withdrawal
22. Zinc deficiency
23. Sulfate deficiency
24. Processed foods
25. Maternal occupational exposure to solvents
26. Congenital heart disease
27. Insufficient placental allopregnanolone
28. Estrogen in the womb
29. Morning sickness;
30. Paternal family history
31. Parental preterm birth
32. Antiseizure meds
33. Location of forebears
34. Lithium
35. Aspartame
36. BPA
37. Brain inflammation
38. Maternal asthma
39. Infertility
40. Ultraprocessed foods
41. Household chemicals
42. Parental psychiatric disorders
43. Fluoride
44. Fatty acids in umbilical cord blood
45. Maternal inflammation during pregnancy
46. COVID-19
47. Wildfire smoke
48.  Sterol biosynthesis–inhibiting medications (SBIMs)

Governor Kemp Signs Rio's Law

In The Politics of Autism, I write:

[M]any police departments have trained officers and other first responders how to spot signs of autism and respond accordingly.  Some organizations have also published identification cards that ASD adults can carry in order to defuse potential conflicts. Virginia provides for an autism designation on driver licenses and other state-issued identification cards. Once again, however, the dilemma of difference comes into play. One autistic Virginian worries: “Great, so if I get into an accident, who’s the cop going to believe, the guy with the autistic label or the guy without it?” Clinical psychologist Michael Oberschneider is concerned about the understanding level of first responders: “I think many people still think of Rain Man or, more recently, the Sandy Hook Shooter, when they think of autism even though very few people on the autistic spectrum are savants or are homicidal and dangerous.”

A May 5 release from Georgia State Senator Brian Strickland:

This week, Sen. Brian Strickland (R–McDonough) celebrated Governor Brian Kemp’s signing of Senate Bill 433, also known as “Rio’s Law.” This landmark legislation aims to improve interactions between law enforcement officers and individuals with autism spectrum disorder or developmental disabilities.

Authored by Sen. Strickland, the bill creates a voluntary specialized license plate designation for individuals with autism spectrum disorder or developmental disabilities and their families, and requires specialized training for Georgia peace officers beginning January 1, 2027.

“Today is a major step forward for families across Georgia who simply want safer, more informed interactions with law enforcement,” said Sen. Strickland. “Rio’s Law is about compassion, understanding and ensuring officers have the tools and training necessary to recognize and appropriately respond to individuals with developmental disabilities. This legislation has been one of my top priorities because these families deserve to feel seen, protected and supported.”

Under SB 433, the Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council will work alongside the Department of Community Health, the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities and nonprofit organizations to develop training on effective communication, behavioral recognition, de-escalation techniques and emergency response protocols involving individuals with autism spectrum disorder or developmental disabilities.

“Rio’s Law represents the kind of thoughtful, people-centered policy that can make a real difference in everyday lives,” Sen. Strickland added. “I’m grateful to my colleagues in both the Senate and House for unanimously supporting this effort, and I thank Governor Kemp for signing it into law.”

Senate Bill 433 takes effect on January 1, 2027. You can find more information about the measure here.

Inequality and Section 504 Accommodations

 In The Politics of Autism, I discuss the legal rights of people with autism and other disabilities.   Inequality is a big part of the story. 

Kevin Mahnken at the 74:

While intended as a universal benefit, educational support for disabled children is significantly segregated by class, according to a paper released in January. The decade-spanning analysis of state and federal data found that wealthy families were twice as likely as poorer ones to be granted accommodations under the federal law Section 504.

A similar split was present in the vast architecture of special education offered through Individualized Education Programs — though in that case, the dynamic was reversed, with IEP recipients much more likely to come from low-income families than well-off ones.

...

In 2019, a pair of investigations by Wall Street Journal and New York Times revealed that school districts with higher average incomes enrolled conspicuously larger numbers of students with 504 plans. Eligible pupils are typically given extra time to complete assignments and tests, raising concerns that some parents exploited the program to gain unneeded academic perks for their kids.

...

[UCI doctoral student Nick] Ainsworth and his colleagues created the study by gathering academic records for millions of Oregon students between the 2008–09 and 2018–19 school years, then linking them to IRS tax files over the same period. The combined data allowed them to see not only which students were classified as needing IEP vs. 504 services, but which specific disability they reported.

In all, one-quarter of the most disadvantaged students had an IEP, a portion more than three times greater than that of the very wealthiest students. Meanwhile, nearly twice as many students from families near the top of the income scale were assigned a 504 plan than those near the bottom (2.9 percent vs. 1.5 percent).

Paul Morgan, a professor at the University of Albany whose work focuses on disability classification, said those patterns reflected important distinctions in how the two offerings are used.

IEPs provide specialized instruction geared toward each student’s learning goals, sometimes including placement outside general education classrooms. By contrast, 504 plans only require schools to make the requisite modification to give students equal access to learning opportunities. Their looser eligibility standards may allow parents with the resources and wherewithal to access support on behalf of children who aren’t obvious candidates for IEPs, Morgan remarked.

“These are benefits that don’t come with a lot of costs. Your child is typically not leaving the classroom,” he said. “They might be seen as beneficial without much downside in terms of tradeoffs.”

Aluminum in Vaccines Not Linked to Autism

  In The Politics of Autism, I analyze the myth that vaccines cause autism. This bogus idea can hurt people by allowing diseases to spread.    Examples include measles, COVID, flu, and polio.  A top antivaxxer is HHS Secretary RFK Jr. He is part of the "Disinformation Dozen." He helped cause a deadly 2019 measles outbreak in Samoa.

 Liz Szabo at CIDRAP:

Aluminum additives used in vaccines are not linked to serious medical problems or long-term conditions in children, according to a report published today in The BMJ. In particular, researchers found no increased risk of asthma, autism, or autoimmune conditions such as type 1 diabetes.

The analysis, which included 59 studies conducted over many years, adds to a large body of research finding no ties between aluminum in childhood vaccines and serious health problems, including a 24-year study of more than 1.2 million Danish children published last year in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

“The evidence shows that vaccines containing aluminum are safe,” said Joseline Zafack, MD, PhD, MPH, senior author of the study and an epidemiologist at the Centre for Immunization Surveillance and Programs at the Public Health Agency of Canada.
...
Anti-vaccine activists, including Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., have attacked the use of aluminum in vaccines for years.

Kennedy, an attorney who has made millions of dollars working with a law firm suing a vaccine manufacturer, last year called for the Annals of Internal Medicine to retract the 2025 Danish study that found no link between aluminum in vaccines and autism. The journal’s editors refused.

There’s no reason to suspect aluminum as a cause of autism, Hotez said.

“This is what they do,” Hotez said. “It’s just made up."

Dozens of studies have consistently found no link between vaccines and autism or other serious illnesses. But vaccines have saved more than 150 million lives over the past 50 years, according to the World Health Organization.

Caregiver Access to Resources and Emotional Support (CARES) Hotline Act

In The Politics of Autism, I discuss the day-to-day challenges facing autistic people and their families.

An April 30 release from Rep. Bob Menendez (D-NJ):

Today, Congressman Rob Menendez introduced the Caregiver Access to Resources and Emotional Support (CARES) Hotline Act, legislation establishing the first-ever national 24/7 hotline dedicated to supporting caregivers of individuals with developmental disabilities.

“Caregivers are the backbone of support for millions of Americans living with developmental disabilities, but they are too often left without the resources, guidance, and support they deserve,” said Congressman Menendez. “Our CARES Hotline Act creates a critical lifeline to provide caregivers with emotional support, counseling, and other key services. I am proud to introduce this legislation to support our dedicated and compassionate caregivers and help them continue to make a difference in the lives of so many across our country.”

“No family should be told to figure autism out alone, yet that is the reality for far too many,” said Jas Singh, Chief Strategy and Operations Officer, Whole Spectrum Autism. “The CARES Hotline is a critical step toward changing that by giving caregivers a real place to turn in moments of stress, uncertainty, and isolation. This is about more than support, it is about access, guidance, and making sure families are no longer navigating this journey without help. Whole Spectrum Autism is proud to support this effort and stand behind solutions that bring real, immediate impact to our community.”

"Caregivers of individuals with developmental disabilities, including Autism, are a vital part of our communities, and many are stretched thin managing complex systems and significant emotional demands without adequate support,” said Joseph Joyce, President and CEO, Autism Society of America. “Establishing a national hotline is a meaningful step toward ensuring caregivers have access to timely information, mental health resources, and compassionate support when they need it most. We commend Representative Menendez for recognizing this critical gap and introducing legislation that prioritizes the well-being of caregivers and, in turn, the individuals they support.”

The CARES Hotline Act was developed after Congressman Menendez engaged in conversations with Whole Spectrum Autism, a Jersey City-based autism advocacy group. These conversations highlighted the struggle caregivers face in navigating the unique challenges of caring for individuals with developmental disabilities, managing services across fragmented systems, and dealing with the emotional and financial strain that accompanies long-term caregiving.

The CARES Hotline Act would:Create a nationwide, toll-free, 24/7 hotline staffed by trained professionals who can provide emotional support, brief intervention, and mental health referrals.
Offer peer-to-peer counseling so caregivers can connect with others who understand their experiences.
Establish and maintain a national database of caregiver resources, ensuring timely access to relevant information and support services across all states and territories.

This legislation is endorsed by Whole Spectrum Autism, Autism Society of America, and Autism Speaks. It is co-sponsored by Congressmembers Lou Correa (CA-46), Zoe Lofgren (CA-18), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-At Large), Bennie Thompson (MS-02), and Frederica Wilson (FL-24).

Earlier this month, Menendez met with Subodh Garg, who was featured on Netflix’s Love on the Spectrum, and his sister and autism advocate Aarti Garg to discuss support for those in the autism community and caregivers.

Congressman Menendez currently serves on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, where he continues to champion legislation supporting families, expanding community resources, and ensuring vulnerable populations receive the care and attention they deserve.

1,842 Measles Cases in 2026

  In The Politics of Autism, I analyze the myth that vaccines cause autism. This bogus idea can hurt people by allowing diseases to spread.    Examples include measles, COVID, flu, and polio.  A top antivaxxer is HHS Secretary RFK Jr. He is part of the "Disinformation Dozen." He helped cause a deadly 2019 measles outbreak in Samoa.

From CDC:

As of May 7, 2026, 1,842 confirmed* measles cases were reported in the United States in 2026. Among these, 1,830 measles cases were reported by 39 jurisdictions: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York City, New York State, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. A total of 12 measles cases were reported among international visitors to the United States.

There have been 25 new outbreaks** reported in 2026, and 93% of confirmed cases (1,712 of 1,842) are outbreak-associated (428 from outbreaks starting in 2026 and 1,284 from outbreaks that started in 2025).

IACC Meeting Went as One Would Expect

 In The Politics of Autism, I discuss the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee and research priorities.

RFK Jr. has stacked it with his own type of people.

Daisy Yuhas at The Transmitter:

Scientists have expressed concerns about last week’s meeting of the newest Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC), raising questions about the meeting’s content, process and impact on future U.S. federal funding for autism research.

“The day was slightly unhinged,” says David Mandell, professor of psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine and former IACC member, who attended the public meeting virtually.

U.S. federal law mandates that the IACC—which coordinates the Department of Health and Human Services’ efforts on autism—convene at least twice annually to develop a strategic plan for autism research. But the latest IACC gathering on 28 April did not deliver on that goal, according to Mandell and other former committee members who listened to the meeting.

Instead, the committee pushed forward three policy proposals in a way that may have violated federal law, according to Mandell and statements by the Autism Science Foundation and the Autistic Self Advocacy Network.

The main topics in these proposals—profound autism, challenging medical comorbidities and the dangers of wandering and elopement—are worthy of discussion and policy change, Mandell says. “I can make common cause with some of the concerns and ideas that were expressed.”

But completely absent from the agenda was any development of a strategic plan “for conduct of, and support for, autism spectrum disorder research” as stipulated by the Autism CARES Act, former IACC member Alycia Halladay, chief science officer of the Autism Science Foundation, told The Transmitter.

Telehealth and Diagnosis

In The Politics of Autism, I discuss evaluation and diagnosis.

 A release form UC Riverside:

When the COVID-19 pandemic shut down clinics and forced face-to-face interactions behind masks, autism diagnoses for many children came to a halt. For Katherine Meltzoff, a professor of education at UC Riverside, the disruption exposed a critical gap and an opportunity. "We were trying to figure out how to adapt autism diagnostics to be done virtually," Meltzoff said.

New virtual tools for diagnosis

The result is a set of telehealth tools described in a paper published in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders that are designed to help clinicians diagnose autism remotely, especially for children who are older or have developed verbal communication skills.

Meltzoff explained that there are already a number of validated virtual autism assessment tools for children aged 3 and below, and for those with minimal spoken language, but not for those who are older and have more verbal speech.

"Telehealth seems to work really well for the kids that have more obvious symptoms and that are younger," said Meltzoff, the lead author.

Meltzoff's research tested whether these virtual assessments could match the accuracy of traditional, in-person evaluations, offering a potential solution to long-standing barriers in autism diagnosis.

How autism is typically assessed

Autism spectrum disorder is not diagnosed through a single medical test. Clinicians observe how a child communicates, interacts socially, and responds to the world, while also reviewing developmental history.

"We diagnose it behaviorally, so we're looking at behaviors that the child displays," Meltzoff explained.

During the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic, autism assessments came to a halt due to the widespread "shelter at home" guidelines.

As restrictions began to ease, assessments remained challenging because facemasks worn by the clinicians and family members hid facial expressions, which are a large part of the social communication and behaviors under evaluation.

Recreating clinic sessions online

In traditional clinical settings, those observations happen during carefully structured, in-person sessions. For her study, Meltzoff recreated those interactions online.

Using videoconferencing tools, clinicians guided parents through activities—such as calling a child's name or engaging in play—while observing how the child responded. For older children, clinicians interacted directly with them through conversation and structured tasks.
Comparing telehealth and in-person results

To test accuracy, Meltzoff and her team recruited 39 children seeking autism evaluations through a university-based clinic. Each child underwent two separate assessments—one in-person and one via telehealth—conducted by different clinical teams who were unaware of each other's conclusions.

The results were promising. One of the tools developed for children whose speech is limited to short phrases showed particularly high accuracy, while another designed for more verbally fluent children was effective in many cases but less consistent.

The study also found that parents were largely satisfied with telehealth assessments, suggesting the approach is both feasible and acceptable for families.
Improving access for families

The need for alternatives to in-person diagnosis is significant, Meltzoff said.

"A lot of people live two hours from an autism clinic," she said. "Getting your kid two hours to a clinic, then doing an appointment and two hours home just isn't really feasible."

The approach is especially important for families in rural areas or those with limited financial resources. For some, transportation costs or lack of access to reliable transit can make in-person visits difficult.

Additionally, a formal autism diagnosis is often required to access essential services. While schools can provide some support without a clinical diagnosis, insurance coverage for therapies typically depends on one. Those services include speech therapy, occupational therapy, and one-on-one behavioral interventions—all of which can be critical for helping children develop communication and life skills.
Limits of telehealth for complex cases

Still, Meltzoff cautions that telehealth is not a one-size-fits-all solution. Children with more subtle symptoms or co-occurring conditions such as attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may still require in-person evaluations for accurate diagnosis.

The paper's title is "A Telehealth Diagnostic Tool for Autistic Children With Phrased and Fluent Speech: Comparison to In-person Diagnosis." In addition to Meltzoff, its co-authors are Cameron Alexander, Amy Hoffman, and Jan Blacher, all with UCR's School of Education.

"I don't want to oversell it," Meltzoff said. "It works for most kids, but more complex cases—the ones that are already difficult even when done in-person—can be harder to evaluate remotely."

Even with those limitations, the study validates new tools for children with a wider range of communication abilities.

"How accurate is telehealth?" Meltzoff asked rhetorically. "We found it's pretty good."

MMR Vaccine Hesitancy and Right-Wing Media

 In The Politics of Autism, I examine the role of social media in the development of the issue. 

Amelia M. Jamison, Samee Saiyed, Lauren M. Gardner, "MMR vaccine hesitancy in a polarized information ecosystem: Results from a cross-sectional survey of US adults, Vaccine, Volume 81, 2026, 128568, ISSN 0264-410X,  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vaccine.2026.128568.

Abstract

Objectives

To characterize MMR vaccine hesitancy in US adults amid the 2025 measles outbreaks, with specific focus on the role of an individual's media habits.

Methods

We conducted an online panel survey in August 2025, with 2970 US-based, English-speaking adults (≥18 yrs). We conducted bivariate analyses with chi-square tests to characterize differences between hesitant and non-hesitant adults. We used logistic regression modeling to identify factors associated with MMR hesitancy.

Results

Overall, 17% (n = 501) of adults believed the risks of MMR outweighed the benefits. Most adults engaged with a wide range of digital media, but engagement with “new" right media outlets (e.g., Breitbart) was associated with increased odds of MMR hesitancy (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 2.08; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.64, 2.82). Seeking health information from non-authoritative sources both online (e.g., social media influencers AOR = 1.41; CI = 1.06, 1.98; alternative health newsletters AOR = 1.39; CI = 1.01, 1.90) and offline (e.g., alternative health practitioners AOR = 1.70; CI = 1.31; 2.35) was also associated with increased odds of MMR hesitancy.

Conclusions

In an increasingly fragmented information ecosystem where news coverage of public health events is politically polarized, individual media and health information seeking preferences emerge as key correlates of MMR vaccine hesitancy. Specifically, engagement with “new” right media and seeking health information from alternative healthcare providers were the strongest associated factors with MMR hesitancy, whereas reliance on physicians for health information had the most protective effect.

From the article:

Only engagement with spaces outside of the mainstream, particularly right-leaning “new" media channels, was associated with increased MMR hesitancy; engagement with legacy right outlets (e.g. Fox or New York Post) was not significant. These findings build on prior studies that have highlighted the connection between right-leaning media and vaccine hesitancy [8,36,37]in two critical ways; first, we reinforce findings that “mainstream” media consumption was not generally associated with vaccine hesitancy, and extend this finding beyond media outlets to include more mainstream social media platforms and digital news services; and second, we more narrowly identify the subset of "new" right media sources as having associations with MMR hesitancy. More generally, our findings suggest that when everyone is already engaging online, where and how they choose to do so matters. 

We identified more marked differences between hesitant and non-hesitant adults with respect to their health-seeking behavior compared to their general media preferences, aligning with the growing body of literature documenting how health information seeking habits significantly influence vaccine attitudes [20]. In particular, hesitant adults were more likely to utilize internet and social media sources for vaccine information, whereas non-hesitant adults were less likely to engage with the sources we classified as non-authoritative (e.g., alternative health providers, online health influencers, alternative health newsletters), suggesting greater selectivity in their consumption of health information. Alternately, it may suggest that increased hesitancy could drive more health information seeking as individuals seek to address concerns or conflicting evidence. This finding adds complexity to previous work – during previous outbreaks– that have found associations between online health information sources and MMR hesitancy [22,38]. More research is needed to understand the directionality of this relationship vis-a-vis the media landscape: are hesitant adults actively seeking out non-authoritative sources, or are susceptible groups disproportionately being digitally targeted by these sources? Or are non-hesitant adults simply better able to filter out non-authoritative information? Or is the relationship bi-directional, creating a feedback loop in any of the scenarios?

[8] Sturgis P, Brunton-Smith I, Jackson J. Trust in science, social consensus and vaccine confidence. Nat Hum Behav 2021;5:1528–34.

[22] Cataldi JR, Dempsey AF, O’Leary ST. Measles, the media, and MMR: impact of the 2014–15 measles outbreak. Vaccine 2016;34:6375–80. https://doi.org/10.1016/j. vaccine.2016.10.048.

[36] Borah P, Ghosh S, Hwang J, Shah DV, Brauer M. Red media vs. blue media: social distancing and partisan news media use during the COVID-19 pandemic. Health Commun 2024;39:417–27. https://doi.org/10.1080/10410236.2023.2167584. 

[37] Baumgaertner B, Carlisle JE, Justwan F. The influence of political ideology and trust on willingness to vaccinate. PloS One 2018;13:e0191728. https://doi.org/ 10.1371/journal.pone.0191728.

38] Christianson B, Sharif-Mohamed F, Heath J, Roddy M, Bahta L, Omar H, et al. Parental attitudes and decisions regarding MMR vaccination during an outbreak of measles among an undervaccinated Somali community in Minnesota. Vaccine 2020;38:6979–84.

 

AND SEE THE LINDELL WHITEBOARD.

Neurodivergence and Social Media

 In The Politics of Autism, I examine the role of social media in the development of the issue. 

Carter, A., Gracey, F., Moody, J., Ovens, A., & Chatburn, E. (2026). Quality, reliability and misinformation in mental health and neurodivergence content on social media: a systematic review. Journal of Social Media Research, 3(1), 30–47. https://doi.org/10.29329/jsomer.84

Social media is increasingly used for health information seeking, yet no systematic review has assessed the quality of mental health or neurodivergence-related information on social media. This systematic review aimed to assess the quality, reliability, and prevalence of misinformation in such content, comparing findings across platforms and topics. Searches were performed in MEDLINE Ultimate, APA PsycINFO, CINAHL, and Scopus. Studies were eligible if they evaluated the accuracy, quality, or reliability of mental health or neurodivergent-related information on social media platforms. Twenty-seven studies met the inclusion criteria and were critically appraised using a bespoke tool assessing the search, evaluation, and methodological quality. Due to heterogeneity, the findings were synthesized narratively. Across the 27 included studies, 5057 social media posts were analysed. Misinformation prevalence ranged from 0% to 56.9% and was higher on TikTok than YouTube, and neurodivergence-related content showed higher misinformation prevalence than mental health topics. Information quality and reliability varied widely but were generally higher for professionally created content. These findings highlight a clear need for action: mental health and neurodivergence organizations should create and share accurate, evidence-based content to counter misinformation, and clinicians should be supported to do the same. There is a need for strengthened content moderation, as well as consistent definitions and measures of mental health misinformation. Addressing these issues is vital to protect public mental health and improve the reliability of online information.

“HHS’ Assault on Autistic People and Public Health”

In The Politics of Autism, I analyze the myth that vaccines cause autism. This bogus idea can hurt people by allowing diseases to spread.    Examples include measles, COVID, flu, and polio.  A top antivaxxer is HHS Secretary RFK Jr. He is part of the "Disinformation Dozen." He helped cause a deadly 2019 measles outbreak in Samoa.

In addition to spreading lies about vaccines, he is hurting autistic people in other ways, too.

From the Autistic Self-Advocacy Network and the American Association of People with Disabilities:

In the last year, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) made many dangerous changes to what it does and how it works. The changes HHS made have hurt public health in the US, especially for autistic people. HHS has done so many things that it is hard to keep up with everything. HHS has also spread misinformation that makes it hard to know how to keep each other safe. That’s why the Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN) and the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) made “HHS’ Assault on Autistic People and Public Health”.

This toolkit talks about: 

• Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr
•  The history of Make American Healthy Again (MAHA)
• How HHS has hurt public health, especially autistic people, in the last year

“HHS’ Assault on Autistic People and Public Health” is available in a Plain Language version and a Formal Language version. There are also detailed infographics. You can use them to find more information about specific issues.

HHS is supposed to support public health to keep all Americans healthy. Secretary Kennedy has done the opposite. It is important to understand how HHS has hurt people and stop them from hurting more. Autistic people deserve to live in a world without our government spreading lies that endanger us. All politicians need to protect their constituents, but we cannot do that until we recognize the harm Secretary Kennedy is spreading.

 
Plain Language Version To download the full Plain Language Version of HHS’ Assault on Autistic People and Public Health click here.

Formal Language Version To download the full Formal Language Version of HHS’ Assault on Autistic People and Public Health click here.

Timeline Infographics

1. Miscellaneous Administration Actions
2. Congressional Actions
3. Funding
4. Make America Health Again (MAHA) Commission
5. Vaccine Actions & Outbreaks
6. Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP)
7. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Staffing
8. Autism Actions
9. Public Response
10. Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC)
11. Vaccine Actions, Outbreaks, & ACIP

Minnesota Fraud Update

In The Politics of Autism, I discuss the day-to-day challenges facing autistic people and their families.   Scams plague the world of autism. Some involve shady or abusive providers.

Conor Wright at CBS Minnesota:

The five autism service centers raided by federal law enforcement on Tuesday as part of an apparent series of fraud investigations all utilize money from the same state program that two other providers have already pleaded guilty to stealing from.

For at least one expert in the field, it's a program that became unexpectedly popular to try to defraud. The Early Intensive Development and Behavioral Intervention program is designed to provide reimbursements to agencies that provide medical assistance to people with autism under the age of 21. On Tuesday, during the raids, state officials announced that the investigations at the autism service centers were directly related to EIDBI.

"This is an important action for families who rely on autism services and for Minnesota taxpayers fed up, as I am, with criminals taking advantage of the systems we have in place to deliver social services," Department of Human Services Commissioner Shireen Gandhi said, in part, in a statement.

EIDBI has been under a spotlight now for several years. According to the Minnesota Office of the Legislative Auditor, the number of provider agencies went from nearly 150 in 2020 to more than 500 in 2024. The total annual cost went from $38.1 million to $324.9 million in the same time period.

Dr. Eric Larsson, executive director of clinical services at the Lovaas Institute Midwest, said that he initially believed the program was effectively protected by the mountain of bureaucratic red tape required to get a child to qualify for the program. He began to see red flags, however, when he directed his team to start contacting providers in 2024 to help fill gaps after some agencies began to stop seeing new clients in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"There were 200 that you just couldn't call them, couldn't email them, they didn't have a website. How did they get on the DHS rolls?" Larsson said.