Newly launched Independent Autism Coordinating Committee says it will provide an alternative forum as revamped federal panel prepares to meet March 19.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
A coalition of scientists and autism advocates announced March 3 the formation of a new advisory body designed to operate alongside — and in contrast to — the federal autism committee restructured earlier this year by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
The newly created Independent Autism Coordinating Committee, or I-ACC, will serve as an alternative to the long-standing federal Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC), which was recently reconstituted with 21 members selected by Kennedy.
Among those joining the independent panel are Dr. Joshua Gordon, who chaired the federal committee through 2024; former Pennsylvania Congressman Jim Greenwood, who helped establish the original federal panel; and autism researcher Helen Tager-Flusberg, a critic of Kennedy’s public health positions.
Organizers said the decision to establish the I-ACC followed Kennedy’s January overhaul of the federal IACC, which included several members who have publicly stated that vaccines may contribute to autism. One of the appointees, Toby Rogers of the Brownstone Institute for Social and Economic Research, has argued that vaccines are the primary driver behind rising autism diagnoses in the United States.
“The newly constituted Kennedy-appointed IACC represents a complete and unprecedented overhaul, with no continuity from prior committees and a striking absence of scientific expertise,” Alison Singer, a former IACC member and current participant in the new independent panel, said in a statement.
“It disproportionately represents a tiny subset of families who believe vaccines cause autism, while excluding the overwhelming majority of advocates and experienced autism researchers who support evidence-based science. The new I-ACC will ensure science, not misinformation, guides autism research.”
Singer is president of the Autism Science Foundation, which maintains that research does not support a causal link between vaccines and autism.
Tager-Flusberg said the formation of the independent committee was intended to “restore the rigor and coordination needed to accurately assess progress and ensure that evidence-based progress continues to be made.” She has previously criticized federal health agencies’ recent statements and policy shifts since Kennedy assumed office in early 2025, including language from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicating uncertainty about whether vaccines cause autism.
Tager-Flusberg also founded the Coalition of Autism Scientists in response to what she described as concerns over the Department of Health and Human Services’ direction on autism research.
The federal government defended the newly structured IACC.
“The federal IACC will continue to fulfill President Trump’s directive to bring autism research to the 21st century and support breakthroughs in autism diagnosis, treatment, and prevention,” Emily Hilliard, a spokesperson for the department, said in an email.
The creation of the independent panel comes amid broader shifts in federal vaccine and public health policy. After Kennedy replaced all members of the CDC’s vaccine advisory committee, the University of Minnesota’s Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy launched the Vaccine Integrity Project. The initiative has issued its own vaccine reviews, including on hepatitis B immunization, which have been cited by some state health officials.
Following recommendations from the restructured federal advisory panel, the CDC recently ended its blanket recommendation for hepatitis B vaccination of newborns whose mothers test negative for the virus and scaled back guidance on five additional vaccines.
Separately, the American Academy of Pediatrics published its own immunization schedule that closely mirrors the CDC’s early 2025 recommendations. Approximately half of U.S. states continue to follow that earlier framework.
The federal IACC is tasked with coordinating autism research across government agencies and advising the health secretary on related policy issues. Its next meeting, the first since the new members were appointed, is scheduled for March 19 at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland. An agenda has not yet been released.
The I-ACC plans to convene the same day. Organizers said the meeting will focus on outlining priorities, reviewing implementation of the 2024 Autism Collaboration, Accountability, Research, Education and Support Act, and developing a coordinated strategy moving forward.
Original article
Comments