🚩 Numerous epidemiological studies have found *no association* between vaccines and autism. Nevertheless, the false claim that the two are causally linked continues to persist to this day. At his confirmation hearing on 30 January, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the nominee for secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, alleged that a study of nine-year-olds enrolled in Florida’s Medicaid program showed vaccines are associated with autism. But here’s what the study actually did—and where it fell short. * The study used Medicaid billing codes to determine whether a child was vaccinated and whether they were diagnosed with a neurodevelopmental disorder (NDD), such as autism. * It reported finding an association between vaccination status and NDD diagnosis, leading the authors to express “concerns about the safety of the current vaccination schedule”. 🔍Experts pointed out that the study contained significant methodological flaws: 1. Flawed data: For example, the study relied solely on Medicaid billing codes to establish vaccination status. But this approach is liable to incorrect classification, as children can receive vaccinations in other programs apart from Medicaid, which wouldn’t appear in Medicaid records. 2. Incomplete diagnoses: The authors also chose to include only NDD diagnoses between the ages of five and nine, thereby missing out on NDD diagnoses that occur prior to five years of age. Read the claim review for more details: https://science.feedback.org/review/flawed-analysis-florida-medicaid-data-promote-false-claim-vaccines-cause-autism/