This is a common belief that has gained traction amongst anti-vaccination activists, but a link between vaccines and autism has not been proven [File]
| Photo Credit: REUTERS
Zoho’s Sridhar Vembu was slammed by doctors after he questioned whether children in India were getting too many vaccines, and shared a study linking vaccination and autism with his more than 3,91,000 followers on X.
Mr. Vembu shared the results of a study by the McCullough Foundation, which analysed earlier studies, in order to claim that vaccination was the “most significant, preventable driver” of autism.
“Parents should take this analysis seriously. I believe there is increasing evidence that we are giving way too many vaccines to very young children. This is spreading in India too and we are seeing a rapid increase in autism in India,” Mr. Vembu posted on Tuesday (October 28, 2025) on X.
This is a common belief that has gained traction amongst anti-vaccination activists, but a link between vaccines and autism has not been proven.
Mr. Vembu further shared posts by X users who claimed without any evidence that their children had developed autism or experienced developmental delays after their vaccinations.
Doctors on X criticised Mr. Vembu for using his platform to spread fear about vaccines. Multiple experts have warned that an unwillingness to vaccinate children on time as per established medical guidelines could lead to repeated outbreaks of previously controlled diseases such as polio or measles, causing children’s deaths.
A purported “increase” in people with autism can be attributed to factors including but not limited to: improved education about the condition, earlier assessment/diagnosis, and the gradual destigmatization of autism that has encouraged more people to share their stories and seek support.
At the start of the year, Mr. Vembu defended the practice of drinking cow urine.
He was criticised by health experts and doctors who had to warn social media users not to drink animal waste due to the risk of infection.
Published – October 29, 2025 02:32 pm IST
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