Islamabad: A new analysis by a World Health Organization expert committee has once again confirmed that there is no evidence linking vaccines to autism spectrum disorders, reaffirming the global health body’s long held position on vaccine safety.
The findings were released following a review by the WHO’s Global Advisory Committee on Vaccine Safety, an independent group of international experts set up in 1999 to provide authoritative scientific advice on vaccine safety issues of global importance.
The committee examined the latest available evidence during its meeting on November 27, 2025, focusing on two key areas: thiomersal containing vaccines and vaccines in general in relation to autism spectrum disorders. The analysis drew on 31 primary research studies published between January 2010 and August 2025, covering data from multiple countries.
The evidence consistently showed a strong safety profile for vaccines used during childhood and pregnancy and confirmed the absence of any causal link with autism.
The experts also reviewed research on vaccines containing aluminum adjuvants, assessing studies conducted between 1999 and March 2023. This included a large nationwide cohort study from Denmark that analysed registry data of children born between 1997 and 2018.
The committee concluded that high quality evidence shows no association between the very small amounts of aluminum used in some vaccines and autism, supporting the continued use of these vaccines.
Based on this comprehensive review, the committee reaffirmed its earlier conclusions issued in 2002, 2004 and 2012 that vaccines, including those containing thiomersal or aluminum, do not cause autism.
The WHO urged national authorities to base their immunization policies on the best available scientific evidence, stressing that childhood vaccination remains one of the most effective public health interventions.
Over the past five decades, global immunization programmes have saved an estimated 154 million lives and continue to play a critical role in protecting children and communities worldwide.
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