Kevin Ault, MD, on vaccines & autism, local government, HPV vaccine advocacy

The linking of vaccines to autism continue to ciruculate surrounding immunization, but decades of research continue to show no association between routine maternal vaccines and neurodevelopmental disorders, according to Kevin Ault, MD, vice president of the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID), professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the Western Michigan University Homer Stryker MD School of Medicine, and former member of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP).

“The data are very consistent that vaccines do not cause autism,” Ault said, referencing multiple long-term follow-up studies evaluating children exposed in utero to influenza vaccines or pertussis-containing vaccines, including studies with 5 years of follow-up.¹

COVID-19 presents a different, more complex scenario. Because the vaccines have not been available for 5 years, long-term pediatric neurodevelopmental data are still emerging. However, Ault emphasized that evidence increasingly shows the SARS-CoV-2 virus itself can infect the placenta and contribute to adverse neonatal and early childhood outcomes.

“It’s clear that COVID virus infects the placenta and causes changes in the newborn that do lead to neurodevelopmental changes that we see in the first few years of life,” he said.

From a clinical standpoint, this distinction matters when counseling pregnant patients who express concerns about fetal brain development. “In theory, COVID vaccine should protect from those adverse outcomes associated with COVID during pregnancy,” Ault said.

Beyond individual patient counseling, Ault highlighted the growing influence of state and local policy on vaccine implementation. At the start of 2026, he pointed to Michigan as an example of a state maintaining alignment with evidence-based schedules from organizations such as the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG).

“Politics are local, and it continues to be true,” Ault said. “You’re going to have to look to your local health department, your state authorities, to make sure that the recommendations are consistent [with] what the evidence points toward.”

Ault also voiced concern about potential efforts to weaken national support for the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, which he described as “very near and dear to the hearts of ob-gyns” because of its role in preventing cervical, vulvar, and head and neck cancers.

Countries such as Scotland, Australia, and Denmark are approaching elimination of cervical cancer through sustained HPV vaccination and screening, he noted. However, recent actions involving federal advisory groups have raised alarms about the future of HPV vaccine policy in the United States.

“At the highest level, we need to continue to advocate for the HPV vaccine,” Ault said.

Reference:

1. Autism and Vaccines: What the Science Really Says. National Foundation for Infectious Diseases. Updated April 18, 2025. Accessed February 6, 2026. https://www.nfid.org/autism-and-vaccines-what-the-science-really-says/