# Almost one in four Americans believe misinformation about the cause of autism

Source: [Medical Xpress - latest medical and health news stories](https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-11-americans-misinformation-autism.html) · 2026-11-10 · Medicine
Page: https://themorning.science/story/almost-one-in-four-americans-believe-misinformation-about-the-cause-of-autism-4e5ee0dcb206a00d
Kind: research · Impact: medium

## In brief

- A survey published in JAMA Health Forum found that nearly a quarter of Americans believe childhood vaccines cause autism.
- The same survey found nearly a quarter of Americans believe taking acetaminophen (Tylenol) during pregnancy causes autism.
- The source states there is no evidence supporting these claims.

## Why it matters

The findings quantify how widespread specific autism-cause misconceptions are among the US public, which matters for science communication and public health messaging.

## Timeline

- 2026-11-10: Survey findings on autism misinformation reported by Medical Xpress

## Coverage

- [Almost one in four Americans believe misinformation about the cause of autism](https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-11-americans-misinformation-autism.html) — Medical Xpress - latest medical and health news stories, 2026-11-10

Tags: autism, vaccines, misinformation, public health, survey

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Brief generated by AI (claude-haiku-5-5) from the reporting listed under Coverage. Headlines belong to their publishers. The Morning Science – https://themorning.science