Federal Autism Advisory Panel Cancels March Meeting Without Explanation

A federal committee that advises on autism research funding has postponed its scheduled March meeting without providing details about the cancellation. The panel was recently restructured by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has promoted debunked theories linking vaccines to autism.

WASHINGTON – Federal health officials announced Saturday that a key autism advisory committee has called off its planned March gathering without offering specifics about the postponement.

The Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee, which provides guidance to the health secretary regarding federal autism research funding and helps coordinate government autism initiatives, had been set to convene on March 19.

Andrew Nixon, a spokesperson for the Department of Health and Human Services, confirmed the cancellation but declined to elaborate. “The IACC will not meet later this month,” Nixon stated. “Further information will be shared as available.”

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. restructured the committee in January. Kennedy has a history of promoting anti-vaccine positions and has claimed that vaccines are linked to autism development.

Over one-third of the newly appointed committee members have advocated for the scientifically disproven connection between vaccines and autism spectrum disorders. Several new appointees have expressed intentions to direct federal funding toward exploring autism causes and related medical conditions that often occur alongside autism.

In response to the Kennedy-led changes, twelve autism advocates, researchers, and previous committee participants established the Independent Autism Coordination Committee last week. This alternative group plans to develop its own research strategy as an alternative to the government-appointed panel.