WASHINGTON (Reuters) -- US President Donald Trump on Monday linked autism to childhood vaccines and also to the use of popular pain medication Tylenol for pregnant women and children, claims which are not backed by decades of science.
In an extraordinary news conference at the White House, the Republican president delivered medical advice to pregnant women and parents of young children, repeatedly telling them not to use or administer the over-the-counter pain killer.
The advice from Trump, who has no medical training and also pointed out "I'm not a doctor," goes against that of medical societies, which cite data from numerous studies showing acetaminophen plays a safe role in the well-being of pregnant women.
"I want to say it like it is, don't take Tylenol. Don't take it," Trump said. "Fight like hell not to take it. There may be a point where you have to, and that you'll have to work out with yourself, so don't take Tylenol."
Standing next to Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a vaccine critic who has argued that no vaccine is safe, Trump called for a reexamination of a link between vaccines and autism, a theory that has been repeatedly debunked, and a series of changes not grounded in science.
"We believe independent, sound science clearly shows that taking acetaminophen does not cause autism. We strongly disagree with any suggestion otherwise and are deeply concerned with the health risk this poses for expecting mothers," Kenvue, the maker of Tylenol, said in a statement ahead of the announcement.
Shares of Kenvue slid more than 7 percent during Monday's stock market session as investors braced for Trump's announcement. But the shares recovered 5 percent in extended trade.
Trump said he is a big believer in vaccines, having led in his first-term the pandemic initiative to speed COVID-19 vaccine development. Still, he called for the removal of mercury from vaccines and said children should not get the hepatitis B vaccine before the age of 12. It is given in the first 24 hours after birth. He also said the measles-mumps-rubella combination vaccine should be split into three separate vaccines.
The announcement was reminiscent of Trump's regular press briefings in the early months of the pandemic when he would frequently dispense advice that was not founded on science, including his suggestion that people drink bleach, which his supporters later said was not serious.
Studies have shown vaccines are safe and have saved millions of lives, eradicating childhood diseases such as polio and measles in the US.
Over the last 50 years, it is estimated that essential vaccines have saved at least 154 million lives.
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