Debunking Trump's Claims About Autism and Tylenol

Mon Sep 29 2025 00:46:26 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

An analysis of the inaccurate statements made by President Trump regarding the links between autism diagnoses and the painkiller Tylenol, along with his comments about vaccines.

President Trump has sparked backlash from medical experts following his claims linking Tylenol to rising autism rates and suggesting that MMR vaccines should be administered separately. This article fact-checks his statements, revealing a mix of inaccuracies and highlighting the potential impact of misinformation on public health.

US President Donald Trump has attracted condemnation from health experts after he claimed there was a connection between the widely used painkiller Tylenol and autism. Accompanied by his Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Trump announced recommendations to discourage doctors from advising the drug to pregnant women.

The claims were criticized by medical organizations, with the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists labeling them unsettling and lacking reliable data. The UK's National Autism Society stated such assertions are dangerous, anti-science, and irresponsible. BBC Verify has examined the allegations made during Trump's news conference.

Is Trump correct that US autism diagnoses are rising?

Trump alleged that autism diagnoses in the US have escalated from about one in 10,000... probably 18 years ago to one in 31 by 2025. While the latter statistic, sourced from the CDC's 2022 report, is accurate, the early figure he cited lacks substantiation. In 2006, the rate was estimated to be one in 110 and later one in 88 in 2008.

Experts point to improved diagnostic criteria and greater awareness for the increase in diagnosed cases, rather than suggesting a direct cause-and-effect relationship with any medications.

Should the MMR vaccine be taken separately?

Another claim Trump made concerned the mumps, measles and rubella (MMR) vaccine, asserting that it should be administered as separate vaccinations. Experts fear that such claims could lead to decreased vaccination rates and the resurgence of preventable diseases.

The misconception linking vaccines to autism gained traction from a discredited study published by Andrew Wakefield in 1998, which was later retracted due to falsified results. Multiple studies have since debunked any connection between the MMR vaccine and autism. The CDC continues to recommend the combined MMR vaccine for children.

Are autism rates lower among Amish people?

Trump asserted that the Amish community demonstrated almost no autism cases, attributing this to lower usage of Tylenol. However, research on autism prevalence in Amish children is limited, and experts caution against assuming the community is devoid of autism cases.

In 2010, a study found that approximately one in 271 Amish children were diagnosed with autism. The claim regarding low autism rates in Cuba, tied to Tylenol usage, also lacks credible evidence.

Trump's history with autism claims

This isn't the first time Trump has raised concerns over autism. Since 2007, he has suggested connections between vaccines and autism, echoing the sentiments of Kennedy, who has been associated with anti-vaccine movements. While Trump's administration facilitated vaccine campaigns during a measles outbreak in 2019 and the COVID-19 pandemic, his recent claims could undermine public trust in vaccinations and health recommendations.