A vaccine falsehood

Happy Thanksgiving week! We're covering a vaccine falsehood from CDC and the need for policy to address AMR. (692 words, 3 minutes, 27 seconds)

Experts decried a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) web page questioning clear science on vaccine safety amid reports that low vaccination rates have endangered America’s measles elimination status.

The falsehood: A Nov. 19 update to a CDC web page says: “The claim ‘vaccines do not cause autism’ is not an evidence-based claim.”

What’s wrong with that statement: “Extensive scientific research with dozens of peer-reviewed studies and continuous safety monitoring over decades have consistently shown that vaccines and their ingredients do not cause autism,” BIO states.

Why it matters: “To continue suggesting there is a link without evidence is a disservice to finding causes and interventions that could help those living with autism,” BIO says. “These suggestions will also cause confusion and erode confidence in vaccines with American families, exposing millions of people, particularly children, to the risk of being unprotected to serious infectious disease.”

What others are saying: “No environmental factor has been better studied as a potential cause of autism than vaccines,” says a Nov. 20 announcement from the Autism Science Foundation. “If we want to find the true causes of autism we need to ask new questions.”

Meanwhile measles rages: 92% of the 1,753 U.S. measles cases in 2025 afflicted the unvaccinated or those with unknown vaccination status, CDC reports on Nov. 18. Experts say current spreading might not abate before Jan. 20, when the U.S. would lose its status of having eliminated measles.

Bottom line: Vaccines can safely stop measles and other infectious diseases as long as we use them.

Learn more: See BIO's Invest in America, Vaccinate campaign, which underscores the proven safety of vaccines and the essential role immunization plays in protecting public health and strengthening our economy. Read more here.

To battle alarming AMR spread we must support antimicrobial development

The alarming spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) means that World AMR Awareness Week (WAAW), which wraps up today, is highlighting an ongoing global health crisis.

The numbers: In 2023, 1-in-6 bacterial infections worldwide were antibiotic resistant, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Between 2019 and 2023, U.S. infections of the dangerously drug-resistant NDM-CRE bacteria increased 460%, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported in September. There are only 15 innovative antimicrobials in the pipeline, WHO says.

Why it matters: Between 2025 and 2050, antibiotic resistance is expected to contribute to the deaths of nearly 170 million people worldwide. But "research and development into new antimicrobials is plummeting because of the uniquely broken marketplace that makes it impossible to create a commercially viable treatment," explained Emily Wheeler, BIO’s VP of Infectious Disease Policy & Director of Working to Fight AMR, in Medical Economics.

What can we do? "As we observe World Antimicrobial Awareness Week, it’s crucial to recognize solutions—like government policies that sustain the development of new antimicrobials—that better equip us to address this global threat," according to a Working to Fight AMR newsletter.

See more: Working to Fight AMR video.

What Else to Read

National Family Caregivers Month in November celebrates the 63 million family caregivers who assist with daily living activities such as administering medicine, helping with hygiene, dressing, feeding, and mobility. They also manage finances, file insurance claims, coordinate care, communicate with healthcare providers, provide transportation, and handle household responsibilities. Up to 55% take on medical or nursing tasks, and in 2021 they contributed $600 billion in unpaid care in the U.S., notes the National Alliance for Caregiving (NAC). The work is often isolating, which is why NAC helps caregivers support one another, and themselves. Read more on Bio.News.

Moderna announces it will invest more than $140 million in expanding U.S. drug manufacturing. The expansion will include “onshoring of Drug Product manufacturing to its existing Moderna Technology Center in Norwood, MA,” allowing the company to operate end-to-end manufacturing for its mRNA medicines in the U.S. "As an American company committed to building and producing in America, we are proud to strengthen our domestic footprint while bringing meaningful new jobs to the community," said Stéphane Bancel, Moderna CEO. Read more here.

Beltway Report

The Trump Administration is expected to propose a new reconciliation package to address health care costs, per The Washington Post and Bloomberg. There are no Congressional hearings scheduled for this week.