McCullough Foundation Report: Determinants of Autism Spectrum Disorder
For decades, the causes behind the relentless rise in autism have been hotly debated. Some claim it’s due to better diagnosis or changing definitions; others point to environmental stressors and genetics. Yet until now, no comprehensive analysis has ever examined all potential factors—genetic, environmental, immunologic, and iatrogenic—together within a single scientific framework.
The McCullough Foundation’s landmark report, Determinants of Autism Spectrum Disorder, represents the most exhaustive synthesis ever conducted on the causes of autism. Drawing from over 300 peer-reviewed studies across epidemiology, clinical medicine, toxicology, immunology, and molecular biology, this analysis provides an authoritative, data-driven evaluation of how vaccination and other determinants contribute to autism risk.
By comparing the strength, direction, and biological plausibility of every major proposed risk factor, this landmark report delivers unprecedented clarity: autism is a multifactorial neurodevelopmental disorder—but one major, modifiable factor stands out above all others.
Combination and early-timed routine childhood vaccination emerges as the single most significant driver of autism risk, supported by convergent mechanistic, clinical, and epidemiologic evidence.
This conclusion challenges long-standing assumptions and underscores the urgent need for a full reassessment of the U.S. childhood vaccine schedule—now administered in greater volume and frequency than at any point in history.
Key Findings
Comprehensive Scope —
Over 300 studies analyzed across epidemiologic, clinical, mechanistic, and molecular domains, integrating genetic, environmental, and iatrogenic factors within one unified framework.
Vaccine Association Evidence —
Of 136 studies evaluating vaccines or their ingredients, 107 (79%) identified evidence consistent with a vaccine–autism link, including findings of neuroimmune injury, mitochondrial dysfunction, and developmental regression following immunization.
Healthier Unvaccinated Cohorts —
All 12 studies comparing fully vaccinated versus completely unvaccinated children found superior overall health outcomes—and dramatically lower risks of autism and chronic disease—among the unvaccinated.
Mechanistic Convergence —
Independent lines of evidence across disciplines converge on shared biological pathways of immune dysregulation, mitochondrial injury, oxidative stress, and neuroinflammation, triggered by antigen, adjuvant, and preservative exposure during critical neurodevelopmental windows.
Cumulative and Timing Effects —
The data indicate that clustering multiple vaccines within short timeframes and administering them at earlier developmental stages significantly increases neurodevelopmental risk, particularly among genetically or immunologically susceptible children.
Policy Implications —
To date, no study has ever evaluated the safety of the full pediatric vaccine schedule for long-term neurodevelopmental outcomes through age 9 or 18.
With autism now affecting 1 in 31 U.S. children, a comprehensive reevaluation of cumulative vaccine exposure and timing is an urgent moral, scientific, and public-health imperative.
Impact
Since its release, this report has been viewed and shared millions of times across platforms, reaching scientists, policymakers, and families worldwide.
It is already influencing public policy debates and legislative inquiries into the vaccine schedule, research transparency, and the rising prevalence of autism—now estimated at 1 in 31 U.S. children.
This research also marks Dr. Andrew Wakefield’s return to the peer-reviewed scientific literature, after years of unwarranted suppression, and showcases the McCullough Foundation’s role in restoring independent science to public discourse.