In Lubbock, Texas, a child receives the MMR vaccine on March 1. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is set to provide multiple sets of vaccine safety data to a discredited researcher known for spreading misinformation linking vaccines to autism. Sources familiar with the plan, who spoke on condition of anonymity following recent CDC meetings, revealed that David Geier, listed as a “senior data analyst” in the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) directory, will analyze the data. Geier has repeatedly made claims about vaccines causing autism, a theory that has been thoroughly debunked.
Critics have expressed concern over Geier’s involvement, questioning the reliability of any analysis conducted by him. Dr. Richard Besser, president of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and former acting CDC director, criticized the decision to involve Geier, citing his lack of medical credentials and history of promoting discredited theories.
The news of Geier’s hiring was first reported by The Washington Post, and it remains unclear if any changes have been made to the plans. Both HHS and Geier have not responded to requests for comment.
Meanwhile, a measles outbreak is spreading in Texas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico, with 377 confirmed cases as of Wednesday, most of them in unvaccinated children. This outbreak marks the largest in the U.S. since 2019, resulting in two deaths, including that of a 6-year-old girl.
Earlier reports suggested that the CDC would launch an investigation into the potential links between vaccines and autism. Instead, HHS, under the leadership of anti-vaccine activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has requested raw data from the CDC’s Vaccine Safety Datalink and other sources. The CDC operates under HHS.
David Geier and his father, Dr. Mark Geier, both previously involved in flawed studies using government data, have been known for perpetuating vaccine misinformation. Their claims of a vaccine-autism link based on CDC data were debunked by scientists and published studies.
The Geiers’ access to the Vaccine Safety Datalink was reportedly facilitated by then-congressman Dave Weldon, whose CDC director nomination was recently withdrawn. This raw data, containing patient health records, is accessible to researchers but not publicly shared due to privacy concerns and data misrepresentation issues.
At an Institute of Medicine panel in 2004, the Geiers presented their findings linking vaccines to autism, which were later discredited for failing to account for crucial factors like age.
The Geiers carried out research in a makeshift basement laboratory in suburban Maryland, publishing several studies that were later retracted. They advocated for an unproven autism treatment involving costly Lupron injections, a drug intended for prostate cancer and early puberty. Despite its approval only for precocious puberty in children, Lupron can have serious side effects such as bone damage, heart problems, and seizures. The Geiers inaccurately diagnosed children with precocious puberty and misled parents into believing they were enrolling in an authorized autism therapy. A 2011 investigation by the Maryland Board of Physicians revealed that the Geiers disregarded standards of care. Mark Geier, who proposed a theory linking autism to a combination of mercury and testosterone, had his medical license revoked by Maryland authorities in 2012. David Geier also faced disciplinary action for practicing medicine without a license.
