Donald Trump highlights unpublished 2010 Amish autism study

Donald Trump has drawn attention to a 2010 study regarding autism prevalence among the Amish community in Indiana and Ohio. The research, conducted by experts from Vanderbilt University and the University of Miami, screened 1,899 Amish children and confirmed autism in seven cases.

The study reported an autism prevalence of approximately 1 in 271, which was significantly lower than the U.S. national average at the time. However, the research remained in the form of a conference abstract and was never published in a peer-reviewed journal.

Questions have been raised regarding the missing vaccination data from the study. While researchers collected vaccination histories from families, they did not disclose whether the seven children with confirmed autism were vaccinated, partially vaccinated, or unvaccinated. This lack of transparency has become a point of contention for groups critical of current vaccination policies.