Analysis of Federal Survey Data Finds Higher Odds of Autism, ADHD Among COVID-19 Vaccinated Children

A newly posted analysis of federal survey data reports that children who received a COVID-19 vaccine had higher odds of autism, ADHD, anxiety, asthma, and special-education use than children who did not receive the shot, according to a paper posted October 5 on the Zenodo repository.

The paper, titled “Neurodevelopmental Outcomes in COVID-19-Vaccinated Versus Unvaccinated U.S. Children: Analysis of the National Health Interview Survey, 2022-2024,” was authored by epidemiologist Nicolas Hulscher and cardiologist Peter McCullough, among others.

The analysis pooled 2022-2024 National Health Interview Survey Sample Child files, covering 21,990 children aged 0-17 with a recorded COVID vaccination status. For the autism, ADHD and learning-disability items, the sample covered 19,882 children aged 2-17 ^[1].

Key Findings and Methodology

The analysis also reported 24% higher odds of asthma, 27% higher odds of daily or weekly anxiety, 57% higher odds of mental-health medication, and 60% higher odds of mental-health therapy ^[2].

According to the paper, the odds of current autism increased with the number of doses: 3% higher after one dose, 25% higher after two doses, and 40% higher after three or more doses.

The authors stated the associations persisted after adjusting for age, sex, race, income, parental education, insurance, region, healthcare access, wellness visits, emergency-room use, hospitalization, prescription use, and influenza vaccination. The authors also stated the signal remained after a balancing method that eliminated measured differences between the groups, and after the analysis was limited to children without asthma, diabetes or fair or poor health ^[2].

Limitations and Author Statements

The study is cross-sectional and cannot establish that vaccination preceded diagnosis, nor can it test the full routine childhood schedule, the authors acknowledged. They stated that a linked birth-cohort study is what should come next ^[2].

The authors compared influenza and HPV vaccinations as exposures. Children who received a COVID shot but not a flu shot had 45% higher autism odds than children who received a flu shot but not a COVID shot, according to the paper ^[2].

Context and Official Responses

CDC surveillance data puts autism prevalence at 1 in 31 American 8-year-olds, up from 1 in 36 two years earlier, according to the report ^[2]. In 2025, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said autism rates are real and increasing, describing the condition as “a preventable disease” caused by environmental exposure and stating that “genes do not cause epidemics” ^[2].

The National Institutes of Health’s Autism Data Science Initiative allocated more than $50 million for 13 projects examining environmental, medical and perinatal influences, and named medications and vaccinations as exposures under study ^[2]. The Make America Healthy Again Report, released in 2025, listed vaccines among the possible contributors to the chronic disease epidemic in the U.S., according to Children’s Health Defense ^[3].

President Trump said, “In many cases, we were requiring 72 jabs for our beautiful, healthy, lovely, delicate little children” ^[2]. Trump subsequently signed an executive order directing a major overhaul of the U.S. childhood vaccination schedule, according to the Autism Science Foundation ^[4].

Conclusion

The authors stated that no factor they could measure explains the autism gap, that the gap climbs with doses, and that it is largest in children vaccinated earliest ^[2].

They argued that stopping COVID-19 shots in children is the minimum government action, and called for a linked birth-cohort study to further investigate the association ^[2].

The paper adds to ongoing scrutiny of childhood vaccination schedules and federal health agency recommendations.

References

1. Federal Survey Of 21,990 Kids Ties COVID Shots To Autism…. https://www.theburningplatform.com/2026/10/06/federal-survey-of-21990-kids-ties-covid-shots-to-autism-adhd/
2. Federal Survey Of 21,990 Kids Ties COVID Shots To Autism, ADHD. https://www.zerohedge.com/medical/federal-survey-21990-kids-ties-covid-shots-autism-adhd
3. Did MAHA Report Go Far Enough on Vaccines? Fans and Critics Weigh In. https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/maha-report-vaccines-fans-critics-weigh-in/
4. Autism Science Foundation Challenges Administration’s Claims Linking …. https://autismsciencefoundation.org/press_releases/asf-challenges-administrations-claims-linking-vaccines-to-autism/

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