Influencer renews false claims about vaccines and autism in Spanish-language videos
Parents are asking about childhood vaccine safety and unproven autism “treatments.”
Parents are asking about childhood vaccine safety and unproven autism “treatments.”
The practical takeaway
Prepare Spanish-language materials to counter myths linking vaccines to autism and help families find genuine support resources.
What's happening
On October 31 and November 2, a Spanish-speaking social media influencer and wellness coach shared videos on Instagram and Facebook alleging that a child experienced delayed speech and developed autism after receiving the hepatitis B vaccine and other early childhood vaccines. He explained he is “treating” the child’s autism with a diet protocol and supplements, which he is also selling to followers. The videos quickly drew thousands of likes and comments, nearly all in Spanish, with many commenters asking where they can purchase the supplements and how much they cost. Others asked whether autism can be “reversed” or “cured,” alleged that vaccines caused autism in their own children, and criticized school vaccine requirements. A small minority of commenters pushed back against myths linking vaccines to autism, stressing that autism does not have a single known cause.
Questions people are asking
- What causes autism?
- Is there a “cure” for autism?
- Are vaccines safe for children?
What you can do
Community partners and trusted messengers: Connect with organizations that serve Spanish-speaking communities. Collaborate to develop and share culturally relevant, linguistically appropriate materials confirming the safety of childhood vaccines and explaining how scientists know there is no link between vaccines and autism.
Internal readiness: Prepare spokespeople to respond to renewed false claims linking vaccines to autism. Ensure teams can explain the extensive research showing no link between vaccines and autism, especially those who interact with Spanish-speaking communities. Equip teams to explain what autism is and address false claims that it can be “reversed” or “cured” while pointing families to appropriate community resources for support.
Public-facing messaging: Emphasize how scientists know vaccines are safe. Focus on how researchers have concluded that vaccines are safe, including highlighting large-scale studies across many countries and the vaccine approval and ongoing monitoring process.
FAQs and websites: Review your Spanish-language resources to ensure vaccine safety information is clear and accessible. Confirm that multilingual options are available and that they address common questions about vaccine ingredients, safety testing, and the recommended childhood vaccine schedule.
What we’re watching
The Monitoring Lab will continue assessing which questions about potential causes and “cures” gain traction and how health communicators can better address persistent myths.
Learn more about the Infodemiology Initiative’s monitoring methods.