On Monday, September 22, 2025, President Donald Trump stood at the White House podium and made a series of pronouncements that sent shockwaves through the medical community, pharmaceutical industry, and political sphere. Linking autism to both childhood vaccines and the use of Tylenol (acetaminophen) by pregnant women, Trump’s statements—delivered with characteristic conviction—have ignited a fierce debate over evidence, public health, and the boundaries of presidential authority in medical matters.
Trump began by declaring, “I want to say it like it is, don’t take Tylenol. Don’t take it.” He went on to advise that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) would be instructing doctors to avoid prescribing Tylenol to pregnant women unless it was “medically necessary.” This advice, as reported by BBC and Reuters, stands in stark contrast to the consensus of medical experts and decades of research. Tylenol, known generically as paracetamol, is widely considered safe for use during pregnancy when taken as directed.
But Trump didn’t stop there. He alleged that autism rates in the United States have skyrocketed, claiming, “1 in 10,000 children had autism” 18 years ago, and that now “it’s 1 in 31.” He called this increase “artificial,” suggesting that “autistic people are taking something.” He further asserted that groups who avoid vaccines and medications, such as the Amish, have no autism. BBC Verify quickly fact-checked these claims, finding them inaccurate and noting that lower reported autism rates in certain communities often reflect reduced access to diagnostic resources and awareness, not a true absence of the condition.
Trump’s remarks on vaccines were equally controversial. He described the current vaccine rollout as “a disgrace,” criticized the practice of administering multiple vaccines at once, and suggested that the MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) vaccine should be split into three separate shots. “It looks like they’re pumping into a horse. You have a little child, a little fragile child, and you have a vat of 80 different vaccines […] and they pump it in,” he said. These statements evoke memories of his early pandemic briefings, where he sometimes dispensed unscientific health advice—such as the notorious suggestion to ingest bleach.
The response from the global medical community was swift and unequivocal. On Wednesday, September 24, the World Health Organization (WHO) issued a statement emphasizing that “there is currently no conclusive scientific evidence confirming a possible link” between paracetamol use during pregnancy and autism. The WHO further noted that “extensive research over the past decade has found no consistent association” between the two, urging women to follow the advice of their healthcare providers. The FDA, in its own communication to doctors, admitted that “a causal relation has not been established” between Tylenol and autism.
The controversy over vaccines and autism is not new. The idea first gained traction in 1998 with a now-discredited paper published in The Lancet by Andrew Wakefield, who was later struck off the UK medical register for falsifying research. The WHO, in its recent statement, reiterated: “Original studies suggesting a link were flawed and have been discredited. Since 1991, independent experts advising WHO have repeatedly confirmed that vaccines […] do not cause autism or other developmental disorders.” The organization also warned that delaying or altering vaccine schedules “without evidential review” sharply increases infection risk for both children and the wider community.
Trump’s administration took further steps, backing leucovorin—a form of folic acid—as a treatment for autism symptoms. The FDA has approved a version of the drug for a rare metabolic disorder linked to neurological symptoms seen in autism, and the administration has asked pharmaceutical companies to ramp up production in anticipation of Medicaid coverage for autism symptoms. However, as reported by Reuters, researchers caution that while leucovorin has shown some promise in small trials, “there’s not good evidence that it works. There are some studies, but they’re small and they’re not the best studies. And so it’s certainly not something I’m actively recommending,” said Dr. Audrey Brumback, an autism expert at the University of Texas at Austin.
Medical and advocacy groups were quick to denounce Trump’s announcements. The Coalition of Autism Scientists issued a statement: “The data cited do not support the claim that Tylenol causes autism and leucovorin is a cure, and only stoke fear and falsely suggest hope when there is no simple answer.” Kenvue, the maker of Tylenol, responded, “We believe 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.” Even Britain’s health regulator weighed in, affirming the safety of paracetamol use during pregnancy and the lack of evidence linking it to autism in children.
Recent research supports these positions. A 2024 Swedish study involving nearly 2.5 million children found no causal link between prenatal acetaminophen exposure and neurodevelopmental disorders. A 2025 review of 46 studies did suggest a possible association, but the researchers from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Harvard University, and others emphasized that their findings did not prove causation. They advised that pregnant women should continue to use acetaminophen as needed, at the lowest effective dose and for the shortest possible period.
Meanwhile, the political fallout has been significant. Trump’s embrace of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.—a longtime vaccine skeptic—has made many Republican senators uneasy, especially as Kennedy has echoed the president’s advice against giving newborns several vaccines at once and warned against Tylenol use during pregnancy. According to a Quinnipiac University poll conducted between September 18 and 21, 57 percent of registered voters expressed little or no confidence in medical information cited by Kennedy, with only 17 percent expressing strong confidence. Kennedy’s job approval rating stands at just 33 percent, with 54 percent disapproving.
Public trust in the Trump administration’s health guidance appears low. Only one in four Americans believe the administration’s recent recommendations for fewer vaccines are based on scientific evidence, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll. “I cannot say that I’ve ever experienced anything like this in vaccines,” said Dr. Norman Baylor, former director of the FDA’s Office of Vaccines Research and Review.
Financial markets have also felt the tremors. Kenvue’s shares dropped more than 7% following Trump’s remarks but recovered 5% in late trading and rose in European markets the following day. Citi analysts predicted the stock would rebound, citing the lack of new scientific evidence presented at the White House briefing.
As the dust settles, the medical consensus remains firm: there is no proven link between Tylenol use during pregnancy and autism, and vaccines remain a cornerstone of public health, saving millions of lives. The debate, however, underscores the persistent challenge of navigating science, politics, and public trust in an era when presidential statements can move markets and shape beliefs overnight.
