Recent studies are challenging several high-profile claims made by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and top Trump administration officials about vaccine safety, Tylenol use in pregnancy, and antidepressants. The claims—including assertions that Tylenol during pregnancy could be linked to autism, that antidepressants may be harmful during pregnancy, that aluminum salts in vaccines pose health risks, and that Covid shots don’t benefit healthy children—have influenced federal health agency policies despite lacking scientific support, according to researchers and public health experts.
Antidepressants and pregnancy
Research presented this month at an annual meeting of the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine found that pregnant patients who discontinued antidepressants nearly doubled their risk of mental health-related emergency room visits. The finding contradicts recent FDA concerns about selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), a class that includes Lexapro, Prozac and Zoloft. The FDA convened a panel in July in which nearly all panelists raised concerns about pregnant women taking these medications, a stance that went against the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists’ recommendation that pregnant patients stay on the medications. FDA Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary claimed during the panel that “the more antidepressants we prescribe, the more depression there is.” However, scientists have not found strong evidence that SSRIs are linked to autism or birth defects, according to the source.
Tylenol and autism
Trump and Kennedy warned in September about a potential link between Tylenol and autism. A thorough analysis published last month by researchers excluded studies with evidence of bias and found no link between the use of acetaminophen in pregnancy and neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism.
Vaccine safety concerns
In September, the CDC changed its Covid vaccine guidance to recommend individual decision-making with doctors rather than universal recommendation. However, a CDC study in December found that Covid vaccines given from 2024 to 2025 reduced the risk of Covid-related emergency room and urgent care visits by 76% among children ages 9 months to 4 years and by 56% among children ages 5 to 17. A December analysis in the journal Pediatrics reviewing existing evidence did not detect any major safety concerns linked to aluminum salts in vaccines. Michael Osterholm, executive director of the University of Minnesota’s Vaccine Integrity Project, stated: “These are just the latest examples in a record that stretches back a decade of Secretary Kennedy making claims about vaccines that are contradicted by facts and data.”
This article is an AI-assisted summary. All facts and figures are drawn from the original report: https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/national-international/recent-studies-challenge-kennedy-claims-vaccines-tylenol-antidepressants/6468974/