❓WHAT HAPPENED: President Donald J. Trump recommended that the combined MMR vaccine, which covers measles, mumps, and rubella, should be taken as separate vaccines.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: President Trump, Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
📍WHEN & WHERE: During a press conference on autism on September 22.
💬KEY QUOTE: “The MMR, I think, should be taken separately. This is based on what I feel, the Mumps, Measles, and [Rubella], the three should be taken separately. And it seems to be that when you mix them, there could be a problem.” – Donald Trump
🎯IMPACT: The FDA is also approving leucovorin, or folinic acid, to treat autism symptoms, and strongly recommending that pregnant women limit Tylenol use unless absolutely necessary.
At a press conference on September 22, President Donald J. Trump suggested that the MMR vaccine, intended to protect against measles, mumps, and rubella, should be administered as three separate shots instead of a single combined dose. “The MMR, I think, should be taken separately,” Trump said. “This is based on what I feel, the Mumps, Measles, and [Rubella], the three should be taken separately. And it seems to be that when you mix them, there could be a problem.”
Trump argued there would be no downside to separating the doses and said it might even be preferable. He compared the situation to the chickenpox vaccine, which is typically administered alone. “The chickenpox is already separate, because when that got mixed in, I guess they made it four for a while, it really was bad. So they make chickenpox individually,” he explained.
Trump repeatedly stressed that he believes young children are given too many vaccines too close together, lamenting the possible side effects of subjecting them to “a vat of 80 different vaccines,” and recommended they be much more spaced out.
The press conference also featured a very strong recommendation against using Tylenol (acetaminophen), a.k.a. paracetamol, during pregnancy, due to its possible links to autism. Trump announced that the FDA would “strongly recommend that women limit Tylenol use during pregnancy unless medically necessary.” He said exceptions could include “cases of extremely high fever that you feel you can’t tough it out.”
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. supported the new guidance and said doctors should only prescribe Tylenol to pregnant women when absolutely needed. He also suggested that autism could be related to folate deficiency during pregnancy.
Kennedy has recently drawn attention for his push to investigate potential environmental causes of autism. In April, he announced a federal initiative to launch a series of studies aimed at identifying specific toxins or exposures that could be contributing to the condition. While he has not directly blamed vaccines, Kennedy has stated that all potential causes, including pharmaceuticals and environmental chemicals, should be examined.
According to data from the CDC, autism rates in the U.S. have continued to rise, now affecting roughly one in 31 children, mostly boys. Kennedy has called the increase an epidemic and questioned whether the causes are being adequately studied. His efforts include plans to update safety labeling on common medications like Tylenol and to examine possible links between early childhood exposure to toxins such as aluminium and mercury—both used in vaccines—and developmental disorders.
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