Zoho co-founder Sridhar Vembu found himself at the centre of an online controversy on Tuesday after suggesting that childhood vaccinations may be associated with autism, a claim widely dismissed by medical experts. His remarks led to a sharp exchange with hepatologist Dr Cyriac Abby Philips, known on social media as ‘The Liver Doc’, who criticised Vembu’s statements and the study he cited.
Vembu had earlier shared a paper claiming that vaccination was a “dominant risk factor” for autism. Referring to the findings, he wrote, “Parents should take this analysis seriously. I believe there is increasing evidence that we are administering too many vaccines to very young children. This trend is spreading in India too, and we are observing a rapid increase in autism cases.”
In a follow-up reply to a user, Vembu clarified that he was not opposing vaccination itself but raising concerns about the number of doses given to children today. The entrepreneur, whose son is autistic, has previously spoken publicly about the condition.
Dr Philips, a liver disease specialist known for debunking health misinformation, strongly rejected the claims, calling the paper unreliable. “The ‘authors’ are antivaxxers funded by an antivaxx organisation, publishing on their own antivaxx website. Not peer-reviewed, not scrutinised. The low-IQ authors have selectively amplified weaker associations while ignoring robust epidemiological data from millions showing no vaccine-autism link,” he posted on X.
He further cited a large-scale Danish study, which examined childhood vaccines in relation to 50 health outcomes, including autism, and found no correlation. “Parents, please do not stop vaccinating your children unless you want polio and measles deaths to return as seen in the US — thanks to boomer uncles in charge of health departments who have turned anti-science,” he added.
In the same thread, Dr Philips described Vembu as a “boomer uncle”, stating that he had previously criticised him for spreading “bullshit on medical and science”. He also mocked Vembu’s ventures, including Zoho’s email platform and its messaging app, Arattai. “Delete the post, you lime soda without fizz,” he wrote in a direct message to Vembu.
The altercation is the latest in a series of disagreements between the two. In August last year, Dr Philips had dismissed Vembu’s advocacy of walking barefoot as “pseudoscience”. Earlier this year, Vembu had drawn attention for promoting the use of cow dung and cow urine, claiming they possessed beneficial qualities. Responding to that post, Dr Philips had advised him to “stop endorsing ancient pseudoscience and outdated therapies, and refrain from amplifying misinformation."
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