Is Autism Really Still on the Rise?
What does this mean?
This dialogue sparked a larger discussion about the heightened rate of autism among children in the United States. Many ventured that Trump was using it as a platform to speak out against vaccinations, as he has previously falsely linked vaccines and autism. During the Republican debate of September 2015, Trump claimed, "Autism has become an epidemic. Twenty-five years ago, thirty-five years ago, you look at the statistics, not even close. I'm in favor of vaccines. Do them over a longer period of time, same amount, but just in little sections, and ... I think you're going to see a big impact on autism."
The CDC has officially debunked Trump's comments, explaining that numerous studies "continue to show that vaccines are not associated with ASD." Not to mention, there is no evidence to support the link between vaccinations and ASD.