Marin Public Health Officer On Vaccines And Autism Reaffirms Science-Based Guidance

MARIN COUNTY, CA — Following California’s statement that vaccines are not linked to autism, Marin County Public Health, aligned with the West Coast Health Alliance, is reaffirming its commitment to provide science-based information to residents, countering what they claim is recent misinformation from the CDC.

Marin County Public Health urged families to follow the recommended vaccination schedule and consult trusted healthcare providers with questions. We offer this guidance with humility regarding family experiences and evolving science, committed to sharing the best available evidence.

"Vaccines are among the most carefully studied medical interventions we have," said Dr. Lisa Santora, Public Health Officer for Marin County. "We know there’s growing confusion and concern, and we take those questions seriously. At the same time, decades of rigorous research from around the world are clear: vaccines do not cause autism."

Santora stressed that the local public health team will continue to rely on solid, peer-reviewed evidence and guidelines from respected medical groups such as the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), the World Health Organization (WHO), and the California Department of Public Health (CDPH). She underscored that public health is dependent on trust, which is established through transparency, honesty, and science.

"We are committed to sharing what we know and to updating our guidance if credible new evidence emerges," Santora said. "Science evolves, and so does our understanding. Our responsibility is to ensure that families in Marin have accurate, evidence-based information to make informed health decisions."

Extensive global and U.S.-based research supports the scientific consensus that vaccines do not cause autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

Multiple large studies have confirmed the absence of a credible link between vaccines and ASD, with key examples including a 2019 study in Annals of Internal Medicine that tracked over 650,000 Danish children and found no association between the MMR vaccine and autism, and a 2014 meta-analysis in Vaccine that reviewed ten studies involving more than 1.2 million children, arriving at the same conclusion.