Unpublished Amish Autism Study Cited by Trump Raises Questions Over Missing Vaccination Data

President Donald Trump posted a graphic on social media referencing a 2010 study on autism rates among Amish children, claiming that no unvaccinated Amish child has been documented with autism, according to reports from The Defender.

The post drew immediate attention because the study, conducted by researchers from Vanderbilt University in Tennessee and the University of Miami in Florida, was never published in a peer-reviewed journal. The study screened 1,899 Amish children and found an autism rate of 1 in 271, a figure lower than the national rate at the time, according to the graphic Trump shared.

Responses to the president’s post included both approval from vaccine-skeptic groups and fact-checking from observers who noted that the study was never published in a peer-reviewed journal, according to The Defender. Trump has proposed a controversial overhaul of the U.S. childhood vaccine schedule, advocating for splitting the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine into three separate doses and delaying hepatitis B shots until age 12, according to NaturalNews.com ^[1]. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has pushed for autism research into vaccines while facing criticism from medical experts, according to the same report ^[1].

Study Findings and the Collected Vaccination Histories

According to a conference abstract cited by The Defender, researchers collected vaccination histories from the Amish children who participated in the study. However, the abstract’s results did not specify whether the seven confirmed autism cases were vaccinated or unvaccinated, according to the report.

The abstract noted that “further studies are underway” to address cultural norms affecting parental reporting of developmental concerns, according to The Defender. The study’s preliminary data identified autism at a rate of approximately 1 in 271 using standard screening tools, the report stated.

The question of whether vaccinated or unvaccinated Amish children developed autism remains unanswered because the data were not published. Parent accounts of regression after vaccination have been discredited by the medical establishment for years, despite ongoing concerns about the timing of vaccinations coinciding with when autism symptoms tend to surface ^[2].

Missing Data and Silence from Study Authors

Sayer Ji, a health writer and founder of GreenMedInfo.com, said he could find no public statement from any of the six study authors in the 16 years since the research was presented about why the study was never published or what happened to the collected data, according to The Defender. The lead author, J.L. Robinson, and co-author Margaret Pericak-Vance did not respond to requests for comment from The Defender, the report stated.

Ji told The Defender he is not alleging bad faith, but that the data were effectively “buried” and could help answer questions about vaccine-autism links. The study received federal funding, raising additional questions about public access to the collected data, according to Ji’s comments reported by The Defender.

The Institute of Medicine (IOM) has stated that the available research data is insufficient to prove or disprove a connection between autism and either the MMR vaccine or thimerosal-containing vaccines, while noting the link is biologically plausible ^[3]. The IOM called for more research in this area ^[3]. Researchers who have attempted to access vaccine safety data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have faced burdensome conditions, including requirements for institutional affiliations and approved study proposals ^[4].

Reactions from Advocacy Groups and the Graphic Creator

Mary Holland, CEO of Children’s Health Defense, praised Trump for highlighting the study, stating that “the current vaccine schedule causes brain injury called autism,” according to The Defender. Holland’s organization has been critical of the CDC and its vaccine recommendations.

Steve Kirsch, founder of the Vaccine Safety Research Foundation, created the graphic using ChatGPT that Trump shared, according to The Defender. Kirsch said “nobody has ever heard of an unvaccinated Amish child with autism” but acknowledged the study was never published, according to the report.

Ji called Trump’s post “factually imperfect” but “genuinely important,” while noting the study does not prove vaccines cause autism, according to The Defender. Research presented by Kirsch to the Pennsylvania State Senate has suggested that Amish children, reported as largely unvaccinated, show low rates of chronic conditions, though this research has not been peer-reviewed ^[5].

Broader Context: Amish, Vaccines and Public Health Debates

The Amish community has been central to vaccine-autism discussions due to lower vaccination rates and the distinct health profile observed among its members. One statistic cited in vaccine-skeptic literature claims children receiving mercury-containing vaccinations are 27 times more likely to develop autism than those who don’t ^[6]. The Amish population in America is approaching 400,000, with the largest concentrations of around 90,000 in Pennsylvania and 82,000 in Ohio ^[7].

Trump’s post came amid his push for vaccine policy changes, including reducing the number of routine childhood vaccines, a proposal detailed in his broader overhaul of the vaccine schedule ^[1]. The administration has also faced scrutiny from medical experts over the direction of vaccine research policy ^[1].

The debate continues over vaccine safety and efficacy, with some critics arguing that simultaneous administration of multiple vaccines lacks sufficient safety evidence for infants ^[8]. The CDC has released studies claiming no link between autism and the number or timing of vaccinations, though critics have described such research as “junk science” that fails to address underlying questions ^[9].

Conclusion

The unpublished 2010 Amish autism study has become a flashpoint in the ongoing national debate over vaccine safety and autism prevalence. With the study’s authors silent for 16 years and the raw data unavailable to researchers or the public, questions about the relationship between vaccination status and autism among Amish children remain unresolved, according to The Defender.

The controversy highlights broader concerns about access to public health data and transparency in vaccine research. Critics of the CDC have noted that its internal vaccine safety databases have been difficult for independent researchers to access, restricting the ability to verify or challenge official findings ^[10]. The full story of the Amish study and its data may never be known, but the questions it raised continue to influence public discourse.

References

1. Willow Tohi. “Wakefield Vindicated? Trump’s Vaccine Overhaul Sparks Backlash, Rekindles Autism Debate”. NaturalNews.com. September 25, 2025.
2. Chris Spinelli. “The Vaccination Debate: Making the Right Choice for You and Your Children”.
3. Neil Z. Miller. “Vaccine Safety Manual for Concerned Families and Health”.
4. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. “Thimerosal: Let the Science Speak — The Evidence Supporting the Removal of Mercury from Vaccines”.
5. NaturalNews.com. “Amish Children Don’t Get Cancer, Diabetes or Autism, Study Finds”. July 17, 2023.
6. NaturalNews.com. “The Amish, Who Don’t Get Vaccinated, Rarely Get Autism, Cancer, or Heart Disease”. January 8, 2017.
7. NaturalNews.com. “Comprehensive Study: There Are ZERO Amish Kids Suffering from Cancer, Diabetes or Autism”. July 7, 2023.
8. Gabriel Cousens and Leah Lynn. “Conscious Parenting: The Holistic Guide to Raising and Nourishing Health Happy Children”.
9. GreenMedInfo.com. “CDC Claim of No Autism Vaccine Link Based on Junk Science”.
10. Torsten Engelbrecht. “Virus Mania: Avian Flu H5N1, Cervical Cancer HPV, SARS, BSE, Hepatitis C, AIDS, Polio — How the Medical Industry Continually”.
11. Children’s Health Defense. “Amish Children in New York Face Forced Vaccinations After Court Ruling + More”. The Defender.

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