Health Claims, Research, and What Experts Say

President Donald Trump has recently raised questions about links between autism, childhood vaccines, and the use of paracetamol during pregnancy. His remarks have been widely challenged by health authorities worldwide, and experts have said the scientific evidence does not support a causal connection. The World Health Organization has said evidence is inconsistent for paracetamol, while the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that vaccines do not cause autism.

European regulators including the UK MHRA and the European Medicines Agency have confirmed that paracetamol remains recommended in pregnancy when needed, and that no new evidence requires changes to guidance. Although some observational studies have suggested possible associations, these findings have not been consistently replicated and therefore do not prove causation. Health officials have warned that discouraging vaccination or avoiding needed pain treatment could harm mothers and children.

Observers have also recalled that in 2020 Mr. Trump asked whether disinfectants might be used to kill the coronavirus inside the body, a remark that was criticized by doctors as dangerous. Since then, public health groups and fact-checkers have repeatedly tried to correct misleading statements about vaccines and autism, arguing that decades of research have shown no link.