RFK Jr.’s Tylenol-Autism Claim Sparks Anti-Vaccine Fury
▼ Summary
– President Trump and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced a potential association between acetaminophen use during pregnancy and adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes like autism.
– The Food and Drug Administration will update the drug’s safety label and notify physicians of these concerns based on the announcement.
– The administration also promoted leucovorin (folinic acid) as a potential treatment for autism during the announcement.
– Kennedy’s reported plan to link Tylenol to autism was met with backlash from his anti-vaccine allies, who expressed anger that the focus was not on vaccines.
– Children’s Health Defense President Mary Holland downplayed the Tylenol link, stating on a podcast that vaccines are the primary cause of autism, a claim that has been repeatedly debunked.
A new government announcement regarding acetaminophen use during pregnancy has ignited controversy, with Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and President Trump pointing to a potential association with neurodevelopmental issues like autism. The Food and Drug Administration is preparing to update safety labels for the common pain reliever and will issue new guidance to doctors. The administration simultaneously promoted leucovorin, a form of folic acid, as a possible intervention for autism spectrum disorders.
Reports indicate that Kennedy, a longtime vaccine skeptic, is preparing to formally assert a connection between prenatal Tylenol exposure and autism, a claim not supported by robust scientific evidence. This anticipated announcement has provoked anger among some of his traditional allies in the anti-vaccine movement, who expected a different target. The Georgia Coalition for Vaccine Choice expressed fury on social media, questioning why the focus shifted to Tylenol instead of vaccine ingredients or the childhood immunization schedule.
Kennedy’s own organization, Children’s Health Defense (CHD), joined the criticism. The group retweeted a post about parents who attribute their children’s neurological conditions to vaccines, adding the caption, “THIS WAS NOT CAUSED BY TYLENOL.” This public disagreement highlights a rift within the movement. Speculation about the announcement began after President Trump hinted at a major autism-related revelation, which The Washington Post later identified as the planned warning against using acetaminophen in early pregnancy unless necessary to treat a fever.
While CHD has previously suggested that Tylenol use in infancy could contribute to autism, the group has been notably lukewarm about linking its use during pregnancy to the condition. During an appearance on Steve Bannon’s War Room podcast, CHD President Mary Holland minimized the significance of the Tylenol link. She described it as a “sideshow” and reiterated the thoroughly debunked claim that vaccines are the primary cause of autism. This stance underscores the deep commitment within the anti-vaccine community to a theory that mainstream science has repeatedly rejected.
(Source: Ars Technica)
