MSNBC medical analyst shreds Trump Tylenol rant, calls claims dangerous

WASHINGTON — An MSNBC medical analyst condemned Donald Trump’s latest posts about acetaminophen and vaccines as dangerous misinformation, delivered on Truth Social on Friday. The remarks included instructions for pregnant women to avoid Tylenol unless absolutely necessary and advice against giving the painkiller to children “for virtually any reason,” alongside in-capital, broad statements about vaccines.

The tirade followed a joint appearance by the president and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. at a press conference in which they promoted unproven connections between acetaminophen and autism and suggested sweeping changes to vaccine dosing. In the segment on MSNBC, Vin Gupta challenged the claims directly, noting that the body of medical evidence does not support links between acetaminophen and autism and that the fever-reducing benefits of acetaminophen can be important for fetal health when used as directed. Gupta emphasized that maternal fever and other conditions treated by acetaminophen pose real risks to pregnancy when untreated.

Gupta specifically criticized a portion of the president’s remarks about Hepatitis B vaccination. He described as erroneous and dangerous the suggestion that the Hepatitis B shot should be administered at age 12, when current medical guidance recommends the birth dose. Gupta explained that vaccination at birth protects newborns who may be exposed to the virus during delivery and in the first moments of life, noting that most babies are at risk through blood-borne exposure. “For all our viewers out there, saying that you should take the hepatitis B shot at 12 years of age when currently it’s recommended in the first 24 hours of life is a dramatic, dramatic departure from just common sense medical knowledge,” Gupta said, before outlining why the birth dose is standard practice.

The segment also highlighted the epidemiology behind hepatitis B prevention in newborns. Gupta said that while screening helps reduce risk, a significant proportion of infants can still be exposed during birth, and delaying vaccination can leave them vulnerable to chronic infection and liver disease later in life. The remarks were echoed by other medical professionals who have criticized the president’s guidance as unfounded.

Medical organizations and lawmakers have aligned in pushback. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists issued a statement calling the guidance about Tylenol and vaccines “irresponsible” and “unsettling.” Senator Bill Cassidy, a gastroenterologist who chairs the Senate’s health committee, said studies do not support the president’s claims linking acetaminophen to autism or endorsing drastic changes to vaccine schedules. Health policy experts caution that mischaracterizations of vaccine safety contribute to hesitancy and diminish trust in established medical guidance.

Public health experts note that acetaminophen remains a widely used, safe option for managing fever and pain in pregnancy when used as directed, and that untreated fever or maternal illness can pose significant risks to both mother and fetus. They stress that vaccines undergo rigorous testing and monitoring and that altering recommended schedules or delaying vaccines based on unproven theories can lead to preventable illnesses.

As the conversation continues to unfold, health professionals advocate for relying on peer-reviewed evidence and official guidelines when discussing medications during pregnancy and pediatric vaccination. The broader health community emphasizes that accurate information is essential to protecting both maternal and child health, particularly in a public health landscape where misinformation can spread rapidly.