In a Senate hearing conducted by Ron Johnson, attorney Aaron Siri discussed a study of vaccinated versus unvaccinated people that proved that vaccines cause autism. He claims this study was never published because it was hidden. This claim is the topic of an upcoming movie by Del Bigtree.

This study has never been published in a science journal, and no one outside the small group promoting it has been able to see the data or methods. Without that information, scientists cannot check if the work was done correctly. In science, results only matter when others can review, test, and repeat them. If a study is kept private or only shared in speeches or videos, we cannot know if its claims are true.

The videos also say there were “zero” cases of ADHD or learning problems in unvaccinated children. This does not fit with what we know, since these conditions appear in all groups of children. It is very unlikely that a large group of kids would have none at all.

A more likely reason is something called detection bias. Families who do not vaccinate may go to doctors less often or may not notice or report these conditions. This can make it look like unvaccinated kids are healthier, when really the information is incomplete.

Large published studies that include millions of children from countries like Denmark show no higher risk of autism, developmental problems, or other long-term illnesses in vaccinated children. These studies are available for anyone to read and review.

Vaccines are not perfect, and like any medicine, they can have side effects. But they are studied and watched very closely. The idea that vaccines are making most children sick does not match what science has shown us. Instead, vaccines protect children from dangerous diseases without raising the risk of the illnesses mentioned in these videos.

With ACIP expected to recommend getting rid of the Hepatitis B vaccine at birth and delaying it to age 4, we want to talk about why the vaccine is given at birth.

Hepatitis B (Hep B) can spread through sex, but that’s not the only way it spreads. Doctors recommend giving babies the Hep B vaccine at birth because many babies were being born to mothers who didn’t know they had the infection. Scientists believe that about 30–40% of people with long-lasting (chronic) Hep B got it either when they were born or when they were very young. Only about half of mothers with Hep B are found before they give birth.

Even today, around 25,000 babies in the U.S. are born each year to moms with Hep B. If a newborn catches it, about 90% of them will stay infected for life. This raises their chances of liver disease and liver cancer later on.

There are many reasons why mothers don’t know they have Hep B. The test for Hep B is harder to understand than some other tests. A mom might get infected after her first test during pregnancy, but before giving birth. Tests can also be wrong sometimes, showing a false “negative.” Mistakes can happen too—like ordering the wrong test, reading the results wrong, or not sharing the results clearly.

Hepatitis B can also live outside the body for up to 7 days, even in dried blood. That means it can spread in other ways, too, like through bites in daycare, dirty needles, or bandages left in public places. This doesn’t happen often, but it’s still possible.

The Hep B vaccine is very safe. The most common side effects are just soreness or pain where the shot was given. Serious side effects are extremely rare—so rare that none have been proven after millions of doses. Because the vaccine is safe, and babies can get Hep B at birth or soon after, doctors give the first dose right when a baby is born.

In the same hearing led by Senator Ron Johnson, Dr. Jake Scott showed a list of RCTs (randomized controlled trials) for vaccination over time. Anti-vaxxers disagree with this list. Aaron Siri claimed that out of the 661 vaccine trials cited, none were “true” placebo-controlled trials, leaving “zero clean, inert placebo-controlled studies” for the childhood schedule.

The list we have linked to above is clear and available for anyone to review. Lawyer Aaron Siri is likely hoping that people believe his analysis without reviewing it.

Saline placebo trials have been done for many vaccines, such as Rubella,  Pneumococcal disease, Hib, HPV, Polio (The Salk version), Measles, Tdap, and COVID-19. Sometimes a new vaccine is tested against an older vaccine, or the placebo may include an ingredient like an adjuvant or buffer that is already known to be safe.

The World Health Organization has rules for when it is ethical to use placebos in vaccine trials. It is allowed when no effective vaccine exists and the new one could help the people being studied.

Scientists agree that vaccine trials may use saline placebos, but sometimes they use another vaccine instead to keep participants safe.

Using placebos is not allowed when a safe and effective vaccine already exists in the country where a trial is planned. It would be wrong to keep that vaccine from participants if it could put their health at risk. The same is true with cancer treatment. You would not give patients nothing when a proven treatment is available. In trials, new treatments should be compared to the best current treatment, and patients should still be able to get the standard care instead of going without any treatment at all.