A former US President, Barack Obama, has sharply criticised President Donald Trump over recent remarks linking common medicines and vaccines to autism, calling such statements ‘violence against the truth’
Speaking in a video shared on his official X account on Thursday, Obama said Trump’s comments were not only false but harmful to public health.
“We have people in power making broad claims around certain drugs and autism that have been continuously disproven,” Obama said.
“The degree to which those comments can undermine public health, do harm to women who are pregnant, and create anxiety for parents who do have children who are autistic, is violence against the truth.”
He further warned that the misinformation could distort public understanding of autism.
“The degree to which that undermines public health, does harm to pregnant women, and creates anxiety for parents who have children on the spectrum is enormous.”
Obama added. “Much of what is being trumpeted as massive increases in autism is actually due to a broadening of diagnostic criteria, allowing more people to get the services and help they need.”
His remarks followed President Trump’s insistence on Monday that pregnant women should “tough it out” and avoid Tylenol due to an alleged link to autism, while also urging changes to routine childhood vaccinations.
Neither claim is supported by scientific evidence. The World Health Organisation stressed on Tuesday that neither vaccines nor the painkiller acetaminophen (paracetamol, the active ingredient in Tylenol) has been shown to cause autism.
“Some observational studies have suggested a possible association between prenatal exposure to acetaminophen or paracetamol and autism,” WHO spokesman Tarik Jasarevic acknowledged. “But these studies do not establish causality and are subject to significant limitations.”
Medical experts continue to regard paracetamol as one of the safest painkillers for pregnant women, while vaccines remain a critical tool in preventing childhood illnesses.
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