Global health agencies and regulators have dismissed unscientific claims by US President Donald Trump linking the use of everyday painkillers and vaccines to autism. Trump advised pregnant women to avoid acetaminophen (paracetamol) and suggested delaying vaccines for children, prompting strong rebuttals from medical experts worldwide.
The World Health Organization stated that questioning the value of vaccines is misguided, emphasising that vaccines do not cause autism. UK Health Secretary Wes Streeting urged the public to ignore Trump's medical advice, noting there is no evidence linking paracetamol use during pregnancy to autism. The UK's Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency also confirmed the lack of such evidence.
The European Medicines Agency and Spain's medicine regulator echoed these findings, with Spain's health minister dismissing Trump's comments as science denialism. Australia's Therapeutic Goods Administration joined global regulators in rejecting claims about paracetamol and neurodevelopmental conditions.
Trump's remarks, made alongside Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr, who has a history of unproven health claims, were seen as an attempt to address autism causes without scientific backing. Experts note that autism diagnoses have risen, but attribute this to broader diagnostic criteria and increased awareness, not to vaccines or paracetamol.
