‘pay No Attention’: Global Health Agencies Dismiss False Trump Claim On Everyday Painkillers

Global wellness agencies and regulators person dismissed unscientific proposal from Donald Trump that made an unproven nexus betwixt autism and nan usage of mundane painkillers and vaccines.

In a motion of really worried overseas governments are astir nan US president’s comments, nan wellness caput of nan UK, which is 1 nan US’s closest allies, told nan British nationalist they should not “pay immoderate attraction whatsoever to what Donald Trump says astir medicine”.

On Monday, Trump told pregnant women to debar taking acetaminophen, which is sold successful nan US arsenic Tylenol and known iternationally arsenic paracetamol, adding that those who can’t “tough it out” should limit their intake.

He besides said – successful comments that consequence exposing children to fatal diseases – that parents of young children should hold aliases debar immoderate vaccines. “Don’t fto them pump your babe up pinch nan largest heap of worldly you’ve ever seen successful your life,” he said.

The World Health Organization said connected Tuesday that questioning nan worth of lifesaving vaccines was misguided and that ​e​vidence linking paracetamol usage successful gestation and autism w​as “inconsistent”​.

“We cognize that vaccines do not origin autism,” said WHO spokesperson Tarik Jasarevic. “Vaccines, arsenic I said, prevention countless lives. So this is thing that subject has proven, and these things should not beryllium really questioned.”

Wes Streeting, nan UK wellness secretary, was moreover much nonstop successful his criticism, telling ITV: “I spot doctors complete President Trump, frankly, connected this. I’ve conscionable sewage to beryllium really clear astir this: location is nary grounds to nexus nan usage of paracetamol by pregnant women to autism successful their children. None.

“So I would conscionable opportunity to group watching, don’t salary immoderate attraction whatsoever to what Donald Trump says astir medicine. In fact, don’t return moreover return my connection for it, arsenic a leader – perceive to British doctors, British scientists, nan [National Health Service].”

Hours aft Trump made his comments, nan MHRA, nan UK’s healthcare regulator, released a connection saying location was nary grounds linking paracetamol usage during gestation pinch autism.

Dr Alison Cave, main information serviceman astatine nan agency, warned that “untreated symptom and fever tin airs risks to nan unborn baby” and it was important to negociate these symptoms pinch recommended treatments.

The European Medicines Agency besides stuck by its guidelines. The EU agency’s main aesculapian officer, Steffen Thirstrup, said its proposal was “based connected a rigorous appraisal of nan disposable technological information and we person recovered nary grounds that taking paracetamol during gestation causes autism successful children”.

The Therapeutic Goods Administration, nan medicines regulator successful Australia, confirmed paracetamol was safe for usage successful gestation and rejected nan nexus to neurodevelopmental conditions.

It issued a connection saying it would “join pinch different global medicines regulators, leading clinicians and scientists worldwide successful rejecting claims regarding nan usage of paracetamol successful pregnancy, and nan consequent consequence of improvement of ADHD aliases autism successful children”.

Trump made his announcement alongside his wellness secretary, Robert F Kennedy Jr, who has a grounds of making unproven claims about autism and different conspiracy theories linked to wellness and vaccines.

Earlier this year, Kennedy pledged to find nan “cause” of autism and denote nan findings this month. Monday’s property convention appears to beryllium an effort to supply results connected nan deadline Kennedy group himself, though he grounded to springiness immoderate caller accusation backed by science.

Experts opportunity that uncovering nan underlying factors of a analyzable syndrome that has been studied for decades was unrealistic.

Autism diagnoses person been rising. One successful 31 children aged 8 had a test of autism spectrum upset successful nan US successful 2022, according to nan Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That compares pinch astir 1 successful 150 successful 2000.

Doctors judge location are 2 main reasons for nan rise, and neither relates to vaccines aliases medication. First, nan meaning of autism has broadened. Second, parents person progressively sought a test of autism, which has go amended known publicly.

In its assessment, nan White House appears to beryllium relying on a 2025 review of 46 earlier studies that suggested an relation betwixt prenatal paracetamol vulnerability and an accrued chance of neurodevelopmental disorders. Critically, those researchers said nan study did not beryllium nan supplier caused nan outcomes and advised that pregnant women should proceed to usage acetaminophen astatine nan lowest imaginable dose and for nan shortest imaginable period.

Health experts person pointed alternatively to a ample Swedish study published successful 2024, which tracked 2.4 cardinal births and recovered nary grounds of an relation betwixt prenatal vulnerability to nan supplier and autism.