A recent paper co-authored by vaccine skeptic Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has raised quite a racket. It would create a federal process for researching the medical records of Americans in order to study the causes of autism. Kennedy has tried to stoke fears over the recent spike in autism diagnoses, describing it as an “epidemic” largely driven by environmental toxins. This Safety Pledge has been met with criticism by health experts who point to robust research already conducted that refutes Kennedy’s points.
Kennedy claimed that the increase in autism diagnoses cuts across a “broad swath” of people across the United States. Health researchers have compiled years of increasing evidence proving that autism is molded and influenced by a plethora of factors. Kennedy is adamant that environmental toxins represent the real heavy-hitters in this story.
Dr. Peter Marks, a prominent figure in public health, expressed doubts about the feasibility of discovering the causes of autism by the proposed deadline of September. He noted, “If you just ask me, as a scientist, is it possible to get the answer that quickly? I don’t see any possible way.” Unfortunately, his comments point to several obstacles researchers are up against in this complicated environment.
Bhattacharya supported Kennedy’s assertion that some insights into autism’s causes might emerge by September. He stated that the study is “part of an evolving process” to learn more about this complex, complicated disease. The research will involve collaborations with between 10 and 20 external research teams, each selected to receive grants for their contributions.
There’s no doubt that the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is leading the way in these conversations to increase public access to data. Specifically, they’re examining data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. By compiling this extensive data, health agencies could achieve “real-time health monitoring” on Americans, which may extend beyond autism studies to address various health issues.
Jay Bhattacharya articulated the study’s objectives, stating, “The idea of the platform is that the existing data resources are often fragmented and difficult to obtain.” He further described the initiative as “a transformative real-world data initiative, which aims to provide a robust and secure computational data platform for chronic disease and autism research.”
The new study aims to continue this research by looking at the environmental causes of autism. It intends to establish an example for addressing future health threats. This first initiative aims to identify urgent concerns related to autism diagnoses. It will arm NIH with the cutting-edge expertise of external research teams in tandem with NIH resources to explore potential environmental influences.