While Congress plans a hearing on Feb. 3 concerning the contamination of Flint, Michigan's water supply with lead, it has yet to address another health crisis: the possibility — some even say the likelihood — that autism is caused by childhood vaccines.

Autism now strikes one out of every 45 children in every city and community in every state in the United States. "Autism is rising at an exponential rate," says nationally known holistic doctor David Brownstein.

"The same U.S. House Oversight and Government Reform Committee has failed to schedule hearings about another health crisis — whether or not the current childhood vaccination schedule, including the MMR vaccine given before 36 months of age causes autism," says Dr. Brownstein.

Several studies have found no link between autism and the MMR vaccine, including a 2015 study funded by the National Institutes of Health. The study, which tracked 95,000 children, found no link between autism and the MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) vaccine.

Most mainstream doctors believe the vaccines are safe and effective, but Dr. Brownstein is not alone in his fear that the MMR vaccine is linked to autism.

Many health experts have been calling for congressional hearings since August 2014, when a senior researcher for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr. William Thompson, claimed that the CDC found and then hid data from a study that linked the MMR vaccine to autism.

According to Thompson, the CDC published a study saying there was no link between childhood vaccines and autism even though their own data proved otherwise. So far, Congress has chosen not to act.

"This is a disgraceful action by our government, the very people who are supposed to protect us," Dr. Brownstein tells Newsmax Health.

"Dr. Thompson claimed that the original data on the MMR vaccine, when given before 36 months, was found to be significantly correlated with the development of autism," he says. "Presently, the vaccine is recommended at 12 to 15 months and again at the age of five."

In fact, it is alleged that the original data found that giving a child the MMR vaccine before the age of 36 months increased the risk of autism by 69 percent in all male children, and giving it to an African-American child increased the risk of autism by a whopping 240 percent.

"However, the CDC, in a closed door meeting, altered the data to hide their findings," says Dr. Brownstein. "Furthermore, the authors of this paper were told, by their bosses at the CDC, to throw out and not disclose any information that showed a correlation of the MMR vaccine with autism."

Biochemical engineer Brian Hooker, who re-analyzed the CDC data and said he found a link between autism and the MMR vaccine, especially in African-American children, emphasizes that more research needs to be done to determine if there is truly a link.

"My key finding is that there is a statistically significant relationship between the age of the first MMR vaccine and autism incidence in African-American males, only," he told Newsmax Health.

"Individuals receiving the MMR vaccine before 36 months of age were 3.4 times more likely to receive an autism diagnosis versus those individuals who received the MMR vaccine after 36 months of age," he said.

"More research needs to be completed to understand this finding," Hooker said. "This may be an effect of the MMR vaccine exclusively, but it may be an artifact of the entire vaccination schedule."

Regardless, Congress has refused to hold hearings. "The Chairman of this committee, Mr. Jason Chaffetz has refused to call Dr. Thompson or any of his superiors at the CDC to testify," says Dr. Brownstein. "In fact, there has been little or no news about the CDC controversy.

"Newsmax is the only media with the courage to cover this outrageous situation."

"This is the bottom line," says Dr. Brownstein. "One city gets poisoned by lead and this immediately makes national headlines and Congress calls a hearing within a few weeks of the incident while the CDC hides, lies, and alters crucial data that may result in permanent neurological damage to a large population of our children and nothing happens.

"A new documentary about the vaccine controversy has been released," says Dr. Brownstein. "It is 23 minutes long and should be watched by all, especially by all physicians." Go here to see the documentary.

"This documentary describes the cover-up at the CDC as well as how the CDC actually hid the important data that showed a marked increase in autism in children who received the MMR vaccine before 36 months of age.

"I will state it one more time: Everyone should watch this documentary," says Dr. Brownstein.

"If you are outraged, call Chaffetz’ office and demand a hearing on this matter," he said.

"You can call his office at (202) 225-7751(202) 225-7751. It would only take a minute out of your day to call and ask when the CDC whistleblower Dr. Thompson will be called to testify.
"It's been well over a year since Dr. Thompson first spoke up, and nothing...absolutely nothing...has been done.

"The CDC refuses to come clean, and by not scheduling a hearing, Congress is complicit in a cover-up that is harming untold numbers of innocent children, especially African-American boys. Everyone wants to keep this quiet, but it's time the cover-up ended.

"If we demand a hearing, it will happen," he says. "It is time to speak up and find out the truth about the CDC and whether childhood vaccines do or do not cause autism. The future of our children depends on it."