UFC star Conor McGregor recently aligned himself with former presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. by promoting a thoroughly discredited theory linking vaccines to autism.
McGregor took to Twitter to question whether there are unvaccinated individuals with autism, writing: “I wonder is there a person in the world with autism, who was not vaccinated whatsoever, nor their mother vaccinated during the pregnancy term etc. I wonder if there is one such case to disprove the vaccine connection to autism theory?”
The Irish sports celebrity tagged Kennedy in his post, seemingly seeking validation for a theory that has been comprehensively rejected by the scientific community.
The anti-vaccination position McGregor appears to support stems from a 1998 study by Andrew Wakefield that has since been completely discredited. Wakefield’s paper, which suggested a link between the MMR vaccine and autism, was retracted by the medical journal that published it after serious methodological flaws, conflicts of interest, and ethical violations were discovered. Wakefield subsequently lost his medical license.
Since then, extensive research involving millions of children has consistently found no connection between vaccines and autism. A 2002 Danish study of over 537,000 children found no difference in autism rates between vaccinated and unvaccinated groups. Similarly, a 2014 meta-analysis examining data from more than 1.2 million children confirmed no association between vaccines, their ingredients, or vaccination schedules and autism development.
The scientific consensus, supported by organizations including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO), recognizes autism as a neurodevelopmental condition with strong genetic and prenatal influences rather than a condition triggered by vaccines.
McGregor’s post comes as Kennedy Robert F. Kennedy Jr. serves as the 26th Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in President Donald Trump’s administration. Nominated in November 2024 and confirmed by the Senate on February 13, 2025, Kennedy oversees a vast agency responsible for public health, medical research, and social safety net programs like Medicare and Medicaid.
Kennedy, known for his skepticism toward vaccines, has initiated significant changes within HHS. Notably, he implemented layoffs affecting approximately 10,000 employees across various agencies, including the FDA, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Health experts consistently emphasize that vaccine hesitancy, fueled by such debunked theories, poses significant public health risks by potentially reducing immunization rates for preventable diseases.
And in case you’re skeptical you might enjoy a recent debate between a Doctor and a number of people who oppose vaccination. The video has made an enormous impact with many calling for Joe Rogan to invite Dr Mike on his podcast.
