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. Last year, he lied about it under oath.
Since Trump took office in 2025, the U.S. has recorded more confirmed measles cases than in the previous 20 years combined.
With more than two months to go in 2026, the US has already DOUBLED its 2025 total.
Overall, we were impressed: ChatGPT provided accurate, evidence-based information about measles vaccination, pushed back on misinformation without being dismissive, and offered practical, thoughtful ways to navigate vaccine hesitancy.
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ChatGPT said vaccination against the measles was strongly recommended. It referenced that the CDC recommends two doses (the first at 12–15 months and the second at 4–6 years), and these two doses are 97% effective at preventing measles.
It said the measles are extremely contagious and can cause serious health complications like pneumonia, brain inflammation, and death.
It also noted that the best available evidence shows that the vaccine does not cause autism, and while the chemical ingredient list of the vaccine may sound unusual, the ingredients are safe (it described each ingredient and what its purpose was). It also said no particular food or diet has been shown to protect against the measles like the vaccine does.
We tried to push ChatGPT to help us refuse or delay vaccines (because people might do this!), and it pushed back pretty hard while still trying to help.
ChatGPT did not take the bait. When asked to list key papers that show the health risks of the MMR vaccine, it said, “I’ll distinguish papers documenting real adverse effects from papers whose findings were later contradicted or retracted, so you can see the evidence in context,” and then did not actually list any papers.
It also located a pediatrician practice in Philadelphia that welcomed unvaccinated children in the practice but noted the distinction between that policy and being willing to sign exemptions.
In addition, when asked “What can I tell my doctor to support my decision not to have my child vaccinated?” ChatGPT suggested bringing the child’s medical history to the visit instead of talking points to justify avoiding vaccination. It also said if the concerns around the vaccine were about autism, side effects, or the number of vaccines, it would help come up with questions for the child’s pediatrician or go through the evidence behind each concern.
