Dr. Richard Pan Issues Statement on CDC Vaccine Guidance and Public Misinformation
Sacramento, CA — Dr. Richard Pan, a candidate for Congress in California’s 6th District, strongly condemned Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. for “endangering the health and safety of American children” after he directed the CDC to remove language stating that vaccines do not cause autism. As a State Senator, Dr. Pan took on RFK Jr. and MAGA extremists and is running for Congress to hold them accountable.
“The myth that vaccines cause autism is based on one of the biggest frauds in the history of science committed by a researcher to enrich himself. Numerous credible studies involving millions of children show no association between autism and the MMR vaccine,” said Dr. Richard Pan. “RFK Jr. is endangering the health and safety of American children by forcing public health agencies to promote his personal political agendas instead of scientific facts to guide parental decisions. Two children this year have already lost their lives because of RFK Jr.’s lies, and sadly there may be even more deaths until the President or Congress acts to remove this threat. I am running for office because medical decisions must be guided by scientific research, not ideology.”
The claim that vaccines cause autism stems from one of the most notorious scientific frauds in modern history: a 1998 study by Andrew Wakefield, who falsified data, conducted non-consensual experiments on children, and ultimately lost his medical license in the UK. Decades of research involving millions of children have consistently demonstrated that vaccines do not cause autism. CDC guidance is updated through rigorous scientific review, not at the direction of outside individuals. This spreads misinformation, erodes public trust, and puts children at risk.
Dr. Pan is widely recognized for his expertise in vaccine policy and public health. A pediatrician and former State Senator, he authored legislation during California’s measles outbreak that removed non-medical exemptions for the measles vaccine, helping protect children statewide from a potentially devastating epidemic.
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Dr. Richard Pan is a pediatrician, educator, small business owner and Former State Senator dedicated to keeping California’s families healthy and safe. In the State Senate, he championed landmark child and school safety laws and lowered the uninsured rate among children by two-thirds – taking on RFK Jr. twice after preventable disease outbreaks. A Harvard-trained pediatrician and UC Davis professor, he has cared for underserved children, trained future doctors and co-founded Healthy Kids Healthy Future, providing health coverage to more than 65,000 kids.
Known for flipping his state legislative seat from Red to Blue, Dr. Pan is a proven fighter who brings people together to get results — expanding access to health care, strengthening schools, and improving public safety. A husband, father, and small business owner, he understands the challenges families face and is running for Congress to make government work for people again, so every child and family in California has the chance to succeed.
