A Novel Hypothesis: Vaccines and Autism, By Brian Simpson

A paper published in November 2025 in the Journal of Independent Medicine (associated with the Independent Medical Alliance, formerly linked to groups like FLCCC), is a narrative review by Matthew Cormier. It proposes a novel hypothesis: that vaccines could inadvertently reactivate latent (dormant) viral infections in some children, potentially triggering or worsening autism spectrum disorder (ASD) through neuroinflammation or encephalitis-like processes.

The author cites:

13 studies linking viral infections (or viral encephalitis) to autism risk.

17 studies on viral reactivation occurring after vaccination.

Specific viruses mentioned include herpes simplex and rubella. No direct causal proof is claimed — instead, it connects dots from existing literature and calls for more research into vaccine safety for neurodevelopmental issues.

For readers sceptical of mainstream vaccine narratives, this piece resonates because it doesn't outright declare "vaccines cause autism."It offers a mechanistic "what if" pathway: many people carry latent neurotropic viruses (like herpes family members), and if a vaccine's immune stimulation "wakes" one up in a vulnerable kid during a critical brain development window, it might contribute to ASD in a subset of cases.

This avoids theMMR-thimerosal debates and pivots to something newer — post-vaccination immune shifts potentially reactivating viruses like EBV or herpesviruses, which some emerging (though limited) research links to chronic issues or neuroinflammation.

Broader Context on Viral Infections and Autism

Research does show associations between certain viral infections and increased ASD risk, mostly prenatal or early-life exposures:

Maternal infections during pregnancy (especially viral ones in the first trimester) correlate with higher ASD odds in offspring, likely via inflammation, maternal immune activation, or direct fetal effects.

Specific viruses like congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV), rubella, herpes simplex, or influenza have been linked in reviews and epidemiological data.

Some studies note children with ASD may experience more infections early in life or have immune differences making them prone to complications.

This supports the idea that viruses can play a role in neurodevelopmental disruption — via direct brain effects, cytokine storms, or epigenetic changes.

The Vaccine Reactivation Angle

Evidence for vaccines reactivating latent viruses exists in some contexts (e.g., rare reports with certain vaccines or in immunocompromised people, and recent discussions around EBV reactivation in post-vaccination syndromes or long COVID-like cases).

For vax-skeptic readers, this paper is valuable as a call to question whether "one-size-fits-all" vaccination overlooks subgroups with latent viral burdens or immune quirks. It urges more granular safety research — e.g., screening for dormant viruses before shots or studying reactivation markers in ASD cases post-vaccination.

If true even in a small subset, it could explain some temporal associations parents observe (regression after shots).

Ultimately, this is a hypothesis-generating review from an "independent" outlet. It highlights gaps worth probing, especially if you're concerned about neurodevelopmental risks in vulnerable kids. More independent, transparent studies on these mechanisms would help clarify, but these will be few and far between.

https://journalofindependentmedicine.org/articles/v01n04a05/

Abstract:

Understanding the origins of autism spectrum disorder is imperative given its increasing prevalence and significant global impact. This review examines existing research on the role of viral infections in the etiology of autism and scrutinizes emerging data on post-vaccination viral reactivation. It introduces a novel hypothesis that vaccines may inadvertently reactivate latent viral infections, triggering the onset or exacerbation of autism. Through a comprehensive literature review across multiple medical databases, this review analyzed studies, case reports, and observational research focusing on viral infections, post-vaccination viral reactivation, and autism. This search yielded 13 studies implicating viral infections and viral encephalitis as potential causal factors in the development of autism spectrum disorder. Moreover, 17 studies were identified, suggesting an association of viral reactivation following vaccination. This connection raises important questions about the role of vaccines in the onset of autism. The findings advocate for continued vigilance in vaccine safety research, particularly concerning neurodevelopmental disorders.