Trump Links Autism to Tylenol and Vaccines Despite Lack of Scientific Evidence
- SAUDI ARABIA BREAKING NEWS
- Sep 23
- 2 min read
Washington, Sept 23, 2025 (Saudi Arabia Breaking News) – U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday linked autism to childhood vaccines and the use of the painkiller Tylenol during pregnancy, claims widely rejected by medical experts as lacking scientific basis.
Speaking at a White House news conference, Trump advised pregnant women not to take Tylenol and suggested delaying or separating common childhood vaccines. He acknowledged he was not a doctor but said: “Don’t take Tylenol. Don’t let them pump your baby up with the largest pile of stuff you’ve ever seen in your life.”
The remarks drew immediate criticism from medical societies, including the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, which cited decades of research showing no causal link between acetaminophen, the active ingredient in Tylenol, and autism. UNICEF and other organizations also emphasized that vaccines remain safe and have saved millions of lives.
Kenvue (KVUE.N), the maker of Tylenol, said in a statement: “Independent, sound science clearly shows that taking acetaminophen does not cause autism. We strongly disagree with any suggestion otherwise and are deeply concerned with the health risk this poses for expecting mothers and parents.”
Trump was joined by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a longtime vaccine critic, who echoed calls to re-examine vaccine safety despite studies repeatedly debunking such links.
The Trump administration also announced steps to promote leucovorin, a form of folic acid, as a potential treatment for autism symptoms. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said it would prepare for increased production, though researchers noted that existing studies are too small to prove efficacy.
FDA officials added that they will seek label changes for Tylenol and generic versions to include warnings of a possible association with autism and ADHD, while stressing that no causal relationship has been established.
Researchers underscored that large-scale studies, including a 2024 analysis of 2.5 million children in Sweden, found no evidence linking acetaminophen use in pregnancy to autism. A 2025 review of smaller studies suggested potential risks but was not considered conclusive.
Trump, who previously promoted vaccine development during the COVID-19 pandemic, also called for removing mercury from vaccines, delaying hepatitis B shots until after age 12, and splitting the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine into three separate doses.
Critics compared the remarks to Trump’s early pandemic briefings in 2020, when he suggested injecting disinfectant, comments he later dismissed as not serious.
Shares of Kenvue, which fell earlier in the day, recovered 5% in late trading but remain down 14% since Sept. 5, when reports first surfaced that Kennedy planned to link acetaminophen to autism.
