Donald Trump's latest 'public service announcement' - that pregnant women should not take Tylenol, a paracetamol, over 'links' to autism, a claim swiftly debunked by medical professionals - has refocused attention on outrageous health-related declarations by the United States President and his administration, including comments about vaccination by Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr.
During his first term (2017-21) and eight months into the second, Trump has made several concerning statements about public health and offered medical advice without any apparent supporting evidence. This includes promoting hydroxychloroquine as a 'cure' for COVID-19.
Confirmed (narrowly) in February, his Health Secretary has been no less controversial, insisting that unpasteurised, or untreated, milk is better for human consumption; this is despite the Food and Drugs Authority explicitly warning that "raw milk can carry dangerous germs such as Salmonella, E. coli, Listeria, Campylobacter, and others that cause foodborne illnesses".
Against the backdrop of Trump's Tylenol-autism statement, we look at two of the more shocking claims made by the US President and one of his leading advisors on public health.
On Vaccines
Perhaps the biggest shocker on this list is vaccines.
Kennedy is the founder of Children's Health Defence, an anti-vaccine nonprofit that has repeatedly questioned the safety and effectiveness of routine vaccinations for kids.
He has also referred to the Covid vaccine as "the deadliest ever made", despite the Centers for Disease Control debunking links to potentially fatal cardiac episodes in teens and young adults.
Kennedy's anti-vaccine rants have only expanded since then.
In April, in response to increased autism diagnoses among children in the US, he vowed a 'cure' within five months. "By September, we will know what has caused the autism epidemic and we'll be able to eliminate those exposures," he said. The Tylenol claim - which threatens to create global panic over one of the most widely-used drugs - seems to be the outcome.
Tylenol makers Kenvue have stressed there is no "credible science" behind the claim.
Trump has been no less controversial with his statements, including a suggestion in April 2020 that disinfectant be injected into patients who had contracted COVID-19.
His statement about Tylenol and autism was made Monday from the Oval Office of the White House, with Kennedy and Medicare and Medicaid chief Mehmet Oz either side of him.
READ | "Not A Doctor But...": Trump's Autism Announcement Gives Covid Flashbacks
The President, addressing pregnant women directly, "Don't take Tylenol. There's no downside... don't take it... don't give it to the baby after the baby is born." He also admitted, potentially urged to by his advisors, his remarks were based on 'common sense' rather than science.
READ | Tylenol Linked To Autism? Ex-WHO Chief Scientist Refutes Trump's Claims
Alongside his Tylenol claim he also called for the overhaul of vaccination protocols for children, declaring (again without evidence) that many given today are unsafe.
The overhaul, he said, would relate to the timing and number of shots.
Among the changes he wants to see are splitting the MMR vaccine, i.e., for mumps, measles, and rubella, delaying the Hepatitis B shot by over a decade. These and other demands, experts have said, could leave children vulnerable to illnesses that are otherwise preventable.
EXPLAINED | Trump, Tylenol, Autism Row: Separating Hard Science From Claims
Medical experts and bodies, including the CDC have cautioned the President and his Health Secretary over the consequences of statements like this, and warned parents that listening to anti-vaxxers could endanger the health of their child.
On Raw Milk
In June last year Kennedy declared publicly that he only drinks unpasteurised milk.
Pasteurisation is a food preservation process that involves heating liquids or foods to a specific temperature to kill harmful microorganisms and extend the item's shelf life.
Raw, or unpasteurised milk, whether from cows, sheep, goats, or other livestock, carry bacteria that are safe for their young but unsafe for human consumption, particularly for people with weakened immune systems, such as transplant patients or individuals with cancer or AIDS.
Kennedy's declaration runs contrary to the basic science behind food preservation and safety, and is thoroughly debunked by the FDA itself. The CDC offers similar warnings on its website.
The Health Secretary's claim followed a CDC advisory on contracting bird flu by drinking raw milk and reminding the public that federal law prohibits its sale for human consumption.
However, a large number of American states, around 30 at last count, do allow this.
'Go Crazy'
When Trump appointed Kennedy, he called on him to "go wild" and declared the nephew of assassinated US President John F Kennedy will "Make America Healthy Again!"
Apart from his vaccination rants, RFK took up the post also burdened by colourful and even bizarre stories about his personal life, including a statement that a worm once entered his "brain and ate a portion of it and then died".
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