--- title: Journal Retracts Paper that Questioned CDC Autism Study description: A paper that claimed government scientists covered up data showing a connection between vaccines and autism has been pulled by its publisher canonical: https://time.com/3222008/paper-questioning-cdc-autism-study-retracted/ author: Alice Park article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2014-08-29T15:05:33.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-02-21T09:55:56.206Z article:section: Health og:title: Journal Retracts Paper that Questioned CDC Autism Study og:description: A paper that claimed government scientists covered up data showing a connection between vaccines and autism has been pulled by its publisher og:url: https://time.com/3222008/paper-questioning-cdc-autism-study-retracted/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: TIME og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Journal Retracts Paper that Questioned CDC Autism Study twitter:description: A paper that claimed government scientists covered up data showing a connection between vaccines and autism has been pulled by its publisher twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production --- # Journal Retracts Paper that Questioned CDC Autism Study  by [Alice Park](https://time.com/author/alice-park/)  ## Alice Park Senior Correspondent Aug 29, 2014 3:05 PM UTC  by [Alice Park](https://time.com/author/alice-park/)  ## Alice Park Senior Correspondent Aug 29, 2014 3:05 PM UTC Earlier in August, the [journal _Translational_ _Neurodegeneration_](http://www.translationalneurodegeneration.com/), an open access, peer-reviewed journal, published a re-analysis of a 2004 paper published in _Pediatrics_ that looked at MMR vaccines and autism. The re-analysis of the data, by biochemical engineer Brian Hooker of Simpson University, claimed to find a higher rate of vaccination against MMR among a subset — African-American boys — of the original study population who developed autism than among those who did not, a finding that Hooker claims was suppressed by the authors of the original paper from the Centers of Disease Control. One of the co-authors of the 2004 paper, William Thompson, [released a statement](http://www.morganverkamp.com/august-27-2014-press-release-statement-of-william-w-thompson-ph-d-regarding-the-2004-article-examining-the-possibility-of-a-relationship-between-mmr-vaccine-and-autism/) admitting to omitting the data after a secretly recorded conversation he had with Hooker was released on YouTube. (Thompson was not available for comment.) **MORE:** [Whistleblower Claims CDC Covered Up Data Showing Vaccine-Autism Link](http://time.com/3208886/whistleblower-claims-cdc-covered-up-data-showing-vaccine-autism-link/) Now, however, the editors of _Translational_ _Neurodegeneration_ have retracted Hooker’s paper, [noting on its site](http://www.translationalneurodegeneration.com/content/3/1/16/abstract) that “This article has been removed from the public domain because of serious concerns about the validity of its conclusions. The journal and publisher believe that its continued availability may not be in the public interest. 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