Mason Continues Support for Vaccines Amid Unfounded Claims from CDC

GURNEE, Ill. – Reaffirming her support for immunizations, science-based research and individuals with developmental differences, state Rep. Joyce Mason, D-Gurnee, supported a resolution condemning the Trump Administration, Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and calling for his ouster; as well as pushing back against the reckless spreading of junk science around vaccines and autism recently added to the CDC website.

“The CDC continues to uphold this bizarre, inaccurate link between vaccinations and autism, despite numerous studies to the contrary,” said Mason. “This misinformation not only undermines the scientifically-proven protection vaccines provide, but also increases the stigma associated with developmental differences. Individuals with autism continue to be important, valued members of our community.”

Before the CDC added false information to their website associating immunizations with autism diagnoses, Mason co-sponsored House Resolution 507, which condemns the harmful rhetoric of HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and reaffirms Illinois’s commitment to science and protecting those with developmental differences. The administration’s unfounded and demeaning statements create confusion amongst the general public, when these conversations should be happening between patients and doctors. Instead, Trump and Kennedy’s weaponization of misinformation has politicized science, replaced fact with fear, eroded public trust and tears down decades of progress for those with developmental differences.

Following the changes to the CDC website, the Illinois Department of Public Health released a statement reiterating the danger of diseases for unvaccinated individuals and debunking the CDC’s claims. For more information about vaccines, visit the IDPH Immunization page.

“Despite a federal government that seems determined to spread harmful, inaccurate information, Illinois remains a strong supporter of research, science, and healthcare professionals. I am dedicated to our state’s continued progress in the medical and scientific fields and protecting those targeted by these misguided, absurd statements,” Mason said.