Trump claims Tylenol autism link, vows overhaul of vaccine schedule

President Donald Trump on Monday asserted that the United States has solved its autism crisis, tying the rise in autism cases to the pain reliever acetaminophen and announcing steps the administration said could reshape medical guidance for pregnant women. He said the FDA would immediately notify physicians to warn pregnant women not to take Tylenol unless medically necessary, such as in cases of extremely high fever, and urged women to talk to their doctors about limiting use or ideally avoiding the drug altogether. Trump cited what he described as a 400 percent surge in autism over the last several decades and proclaimed, “With Tylenol, don’t take it. There’s not an alternative to that.” The remarks came as his administration released findings from a federal review led by health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has previously described autism as destroying families and called the rising rates an epidemic.

Health officials in the administration also announced support for a separate public-health shift, including a re-examination of the nation’s vaccination schedule, though the link between vaccines and autism has been discredited by major scientific bodies. Trump praised the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for moving to stop recommending the combined MMR and varicella vaccine in favor of separate injections and said he would study the broader vaccine schedule. He repeated a line long attributed to him about a correlation between vaccines and autism, while stressing that the scientific consensus to date has not found a causal link.

The review spearheaded by Kennedy also spotlighted setbacks in autism research and highlighted a push to pursue new therapeutic avenues. Kennedy described the rise in autism as an epidemic and pledged to pursue answers by September, saying, “We are continuing to investigate multiplicity of potential causes. We will be uncompromising and relentless in our pursuit.” NIH head Dr. Jay Bhattacharya said the agency would devote an additional $50 million to studying the causes of autism and stressed that the issue requires an urgent scientific response. In this context, Trump characterized the administration’s efforts as a major step toward understanding a condition that now affects an estimated one in 31 children, compared with about one in 150 in 2000.

Medical experts, however, cautioned against drawing causal conclusions from the administration’s assertions on acetaminophen. Acetaminophen is widely used by pregnant women to reduce fevers and pain that could harm both mother and fetus, and major medical organizations, including the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, say it is safe for use during pregnancy with proper medical guidance. They stress that any medication decision should be made in consultation with a health-care professional. Still, some scientists and voices cited in the briefing pointed to ongoing debates about environmental factors, maternal health, and other variables that could influence autism risk, rather than a single root cause.

A spokesperson for Kenvue, the maker of Tylenol, said in a statement that independent science continues to show that acetaminophen does not cause autism, and that the company supports evidence-based health guidance. The statement underscored that acetaminophen remains one of the safest pain-relief options for pregnant women when used as directed and that public health decisions should be guided by robust data rather than unverified associations. The company noted that more than a decade of research and regulatory review supports its safety profile when used appropriately.

Meanwhile, the administration promoted a potential new treatment approach centered on leucovorin, a folic-acid derivative. Kennedy touted leucovorin as an “exciting development” in autism management, and doctors who spoke to outlets cited evidence that the drug can improve certain aspects of functioning for some children with autism. Leucovorin is FDA-approved for use in chemotherapy patients to protect healthy cells, but physicians can prescribe it off label for other conditions when they deem it safe. Advocates described leucovorin as a disease-modifying approach rather than a cure, with reports of notable improvements in speech and social engagement in a subset of children.

Dr. Richard Frye, a pediatric neurologist who has studied leucovorin for two decades, estimated that roughly 70 percent of the autistic children treated with the drug in his practice have shown meaningful gains. He warned, however, that not all patients respond and emphasized that more research is needed to confirm long-term benefits and to identify which patients might benefit most. Frye and other clinicians cited early results from small studies and patient narratives to illustrate potential improvements, while noting that leucovorin remains an experimental approach for autism in many contexts. Critics warned against drawing broad conclusions from anecdotal reports and small samples, stressing the necessity of randomized trials and rigorous peer review before widespread adoption.

The administration’s push comes as public awareness of autism continues to rise. Federal statistics show a substantial uptick in diagnosed cases over the past two decades, but experts attribute much of the apparent surge to broadened diagnostic criteria and improved screening rather than a single cause. Some researchers point to a combination of factors, including genetics, maternal age, and exposure to environmental factors, while others argue that better recognition and services account for much of the increase.

Amid these debates, the FDA and NIH have underscored the importance of continuing to rely on established evidence while supporting research into new therapeutic options. The administration’s broader health agenda signals a willingness to integrate emerging but contested findings into policy discussions, even as independent scientists urge caution and rigorous evaluation before altering standard medical practice.

The current moment reflects a broader political and scientific conversation about how best to address autism through prevention, early detection, and treatment. While officials stress that the science remains unsettled on many points, they say it is essential to pursue multiple pathways that could improve outcomes for affected individuals and their families. The administration’s proposals, if implemented, would represent one of the most significant shifts in health policy in recent memory, with implications for clinical guidelines, insurance coverage, and research funding across federal and private sectors.