‘Don’t use unless absolutely necessary’: Donald Trump reiterates Tylenol claim; proposes suggestions on other vaccines

Donald Trump (AP)

US President Donald Trump on Friday reiterated his warning to pregnant women to avoid using Tylenol unless “absolutely necessary” and offered a series of recommendations regarding medication and vaccinations for young children.”Pregnant Women, DON’T USE TYLENOL UNLESS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY, DON’T GIVE TYLENOL TO YOUR YOUNG CHILD FOR VIRTUALLY ANY REASON,” he said through a post on Truth Social.He also recommended that the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) shot be administered as three separate injections rather than a combined dose, the chickenpox vaccine given separately, and the hepatitis B vaccine administered at age 12 or older.“BREAK UP THE MMR SHOT INTO THREE TOTALLY SEPARATE SHOTS (NOT MIXED!), TAKE CHICKEN P SHOT SEPARATELY, TAKE HEPATITAS B SHOT AT 12 YEARS OLD, OR OLDER, AND, IMPORTANTLY, TAKE VACCINE IN 5 SEPARATE MEDICAL VISITS!” he added. Trump on Monday warned pregnant individuals against using Tylenol, citing an unverified link to autism, while also calling for significant changes to standard infant vaccination schedules. Trump stated, “taking Tylenol is not good.” He added, “for this reason, they are strongly recommending that women limit Tylenol use during pregnancy unless medically necessary. That’s for instance, in cases of extremely high fever that you feel you can’t tough it out.” Trump also suggested major changes to infant vaccination schedules, asserting without evidence that vaccinating newborns against Hepatitis B, a serious and highly contagious disease, is unnecessary. “I would say, wait until the baby is 12 years old and formed,” he said.Medical experts caution that this contradicts decades of research showing that vaccinating newborns within 24 hours of birth is crucial to prevent maternal transmission of Hepatitis B, a liver-damaging and potentially cancer-causing disease.The US Food and Drug Administration issued a measured response, telling physicians that “a causal relationship has not been established” and highlighting evidence in the scientific literature that contradicts the claim. Tylenol manufacturer Kenvue defended its product, stating, “we strongly disagree with any suggestion otherwise and are deeply concerned with the health risk this poses for expecting mothers.”