Sridhar Vembu, founder and CEO of Zoho Corporation, has stirred a heated public debate after posting on X (formerly Twitter) in support of a controversial study that links childhood vaccines to autism.
The Indian billionaire entrepreneur and Padma Shri awardee shared a link to a report published on Zenodo, titled “Determinants of Autism Spectrum Disorder,” claiming that the study provides evidence connecting combination childhood vaccination to autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurological and developmental disorder that affects how people interact with others, communicate, learn, and behave, according to the National Institute of Mental Health.
The report, backed by the McCullough Foundation, claims that autism now affects over 1 in 31 children in the U.S. and attributes its rise to several factors including older parental age, premature delivery, environmental toxins, gut–brain axis changes, and notably, “combination routine childhood vaccination.”
According to the paper, this “constitutes the most significant modifiable risk factor for ASD,” suggesting that the clustering of multiple vaccines during key neurodevelopmental windows may heighten risk.
However, the publication has not appeared in a peer-reviewed medical journal and was released through Zenodo which is a general research repository that allows open submissions and is not an established medical platform.
The study itself acknowledges limitations, citing potential bias, heterogeneity of data, and lack of large-scale, longitudinal research confirming any vaccine–autism link.
Notably, the report lists Dr. Andrew Wakefield among its authors—the same researcher whose fraudulent 1998 paper in The Lancet falsely claimed a link between the MMR vaccine and autism. That paper was retracted in 2010 after being exposed as scientifically flawed and ethically compromised, but not before it sparked a global vaccine hesitancy movement that continues today.
Vembu’s post drew swift criticism from medical professionals and researchers who accused him of promoting misinformation.
Dr. Sumeet Shah, Director of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery at PSRI Hospital, wrote,
“Every single medical treatment has trade-offs. When the benefits far outweigh the risks, it becomes mainstream. Infant mortality in India fell from 146 per 1,000 live births in 1951 to under 25 today, largely because of vaccines. Thank God and science for saving more babies.”
Dr. Amit Gupta, Clinical Lead for Neonatal Care at Oxford’s John Radcliffe Hospital, called Vembu’s remarks “utterly irresponsible,” warning that such statements could fuel vaccine hesitancy and “lead to an infectious disease crisis.”
Parijat Sen, Assistant Professor at the University of Kentucky, added,
“Given you are a ‘chief scientist,’ I have faith in your scientific comprehension. I strongly recommend you read what vaccines have saved entire generations from. India’s Pulse Polio drive has been one of medicine’s greatest achievements.”
Dr. Rajeev Jayadevan of the Indian Medical Association, Kochi, also condemned the remarks. Speaking to IANS, he said,
“There are many people who take an anti-vaccine stand. We saw the damaging effects of their propaganda during the early part of the pandemic, when tens of thousands of people died of severe Covid-19 simply because they were afraid to vaccinate.” He added ,“Unfortunately, anti-science views are fashionable in certain circles driven by personal bias, blind belief, and a fascination with conspiracy theories.”
Referring to the historical origins of the vaccine-autism myth, Dr. Jayadevan noted, "Although the paper was retracted, the damage was already done. Many people continued to believe that vaccines cause autism, despite numerous well-conducted studies showing no such link." He pointed out that it is "curious that Wakefield is listed among the authors of this new McCullough Foundation report—which is not a peer-reviewed publication."
Dr. Munish Kumar Raizada, MD, FAAP, a board-certified neonatologist, also commented on the post and added,
"Multiple peer-reviewed large scale meta- analyses conducted worldwide that have included millions and millions of children have found no evidence between any vaccine or vaccine ingredient and autism (ASD)."
He also emphasized the role that vaccines have played over the years.
The claim that vaccines cause autism has been repeatedly investigated and debunked by extensive scientific studies across decades.
Three major hypotheses have historically fueled the misconception:
The MMR vaccine (measles, mumps, rubella) damages the intestinal lining, leading to neurological effects.
Thimerosal, a mercury-based preservative, harms the brain.
Multiple simultaneous vaccines “overwhelm” a child’s immune system.
However, large-scale reviews and epidemiological data have found no credible evidence supporting any of these claims. ¹
The World Health Organization (WHO), CDC, and numerous medical bodies affirm that vaccines are safe, rigorously tested, and critical to preventing disease and reducing child mortality.
References:
1. Gerber JS, Offit PA. Vaccines and autism: a tale of shifting hypotheses. Clin Infect Dis. 2009 Feb 15;48(4):456-61. doi: 10.1086/596476. PMID: 19128068; PMCID: PMC2908388.
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