New Delhi: Zoho Corporation’s co-founder and CEO Sridhar Vembu has come under fire after sharing a social media post suggesting that childhood vaccinations might be linked to autism. His remarks triggered widespread debate and drew strong criticism from medical professionals, including popular hepatologist Dr. Cyriac Abby Philips, widely known online as The Liver Doc.
The Whole Controversy
Vembu, in a recent post on X (formerly Twitter), shared a research paper claiming vaccines are a “dominant risk factor” for autism in children. He commented that parents should “take this analysis seriously,” adding that excessive vaccination in early childhood could be contributing to the rise of autism cases in India.
Sridhar Vembu, whose own child is reportedly on the autism spectrum, clarified that he is not entirely against vaccines but believes the number and timing of doses should be reconsidered. “We might be giving too many vaccines too early,” he wrote.
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. https://t.co/AeiVaieYug
— Sridhar Vembu (@svembu) October 28, 2025
The Medical Community Responds
Dr. Cyriac Abby Philips, known for actively debunking pseudoscience on social media, called out Vembu’s post as “misinformation.” The Liver Doc stated that the paper shared by Sridhar Vembu was not peer-reviewed and was published by a group known for spreading anti-vaccine narratives.
He highlighted that multiple large-scale scientific studies — including a landmark Danish study — have shown no link between childhood vaccines and autism. According to Dr. Philips, spreading such claims can discourage parents from vaccinating their children, putting them at risk of preventable diseases like measles and polio.
Philips responded sharply, urging Vembu to “stay in his lane” and jokingly referred to him as a “boomer uncle,” a comment that quickly went viral.
History of Clashes
This isn’t the first time the Zoho founder and The Liver Doc have crossed paths. In the past, Vembu has been criticised for promoting unscientific ideas such as walking barefoot for health benefits and endorsing cow urine as a natural remedy. Dr. Philips has repeatedly cautioned influential figures against promoting claims that lack scientific evidence.
Shreya Gandhi is a writer at MedicoDrive.com with a Master’s in English from Mumbai. She covers medicolegal cases, NMC/DCI updates, medical education, and health news from India and around the world. Passionate about journalism, she brings clarity to complex medical topics.