The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is now preparing a large-scale research initiative which will look at understanding the causes of autism. This announcement came from Secretary, Robert F Kennedy Jr. on Thursday after a Cabinet meeting with President Donald Trump.What Will This New Research Do?According to Kennedy, the HHS project will be a “massive testing and research effort” involving hundreds of scientists, with the goal of completing the work by September. The effort, however, has sparked immediate concern among scientists, autism advocacy groups, and public health experts, particularly because of Kennedy’s long-standing belief in a debunked theory linking vaccines to autism.“There’s got to be something artificial out there that’s doing this,” President Trump told Kennedy during the meeting. “If you can come up with that answer, where you stop taking something, eating something, or maybe it’s a shot. But something’s causing it.”RFK Controversy On Autism And VaccineKennedy's earlier remarks and Trump's comments have already been taken with a pinch of salt, especially when they tried to revive the widely discredited claim that childhood vaccines could in fact cause autism. This theory originated in a 1998 study published in The Lancet, which falsely linked the MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) vaccine to autism. The study was later retracted due to unethical practices and flawed data. Its lead author lost his medical license.Despite overwhelming evidence disproving the vaccine-autism link, Kennedy has continued to promote it. During the Cabinet meeting, he restated his position:“I saw my children get sick after getting vaccinated, and I’ve heard thousands of parents say the same. It’s time we take a serious look. This study is going to find out if something we’re doing—maybe the vaccines—is behind the autism epidemic.”His statement was met with mixed reactions, especially from medical experts and autism advocates.What Does Science Really Say?Decades of research have failed to show any credible link between vaccines and autism. Major public health institutions—including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the World Health Organization (WHO), the American Academy of Pediatrics, and advocacy groups like Autism Speaks—have all concluded that vaccines do not cause autism.Autism, a developmental condition affecting communication, behavior, and learning, has more scientifically established risk factors. These include:Genetic influences, which are the most significant contributorsEnvironmental exposures such as air pollution and pesticidesLow birth weight or premature birthParental age, with older parents being more likely to have children with autismThe National Institutes of Health (NIH) already invests over $300 million annually in autism research, focusing on early detection, interventions, and understanding underlying causes. It remains unclear how Kennedy’s study will differ or whether it will duplicate ongoing efforts.What Do The Experts Say?The Autism Society of America and other groups have raised concerns over the new initiative. “There is a deep concern that we are going backward and evaluating debunked theories,” said Kristyn Roth, a spokesperson for the Autism Society. She also noted that their organization had not been consulted in any part of the study’s planning.Another source of controversy is Kennedy’s choice to appoint Dr. David Geier, an orthopedic surgeon who has long claimed a link between vaccines and autism, to lead the study. In 2011, Maryland authorities found Geier was practicing medicine without a license.