President-elect Donald Trump, who has frequently proclaimed his belief that childhood vaccines are linked to autism, has outlined plans to reexamine the link, which has been disproven in several studies.
Trump suggested that Robert F. Kennedy Jr., his pick for health secretary, would lead the investigation. Trump also stated that he is "open to anything," hinting at the possibility of eliminating vaccines to address the rising autism cases in the United States over recent decades, a move likely to spark heated debate within the medical community.
During an appearance on NBC's "Meet The Press" with Kristen Welker Sunday, Trump was asked if he might consider eliminating vaccinations. He replied, "If they're dangerous for the children, I'm open to anything. I think somebody has to find out."
"If you go back 25 years ago. You had very little autism. Now you have it. Something is going on," Trump said. "I don't know if it's vaccines. Maybe it's chlorine in the water, right? You know, people are looking at a lot of different things," Trump added.
Autism diagnoses have surged dramatically, from approximately 1 in 150 children in 2000 to 1 in 36 today. However, experts attribute the rise in cases to improved screening and evolving definitions of the disorder.
"Hey, look, I'm not against vaccines. The polio vaccine is the greatest thing. If somebody told me, 'Get rid of the polio vaccine,' they're going to have to work real hard to convince me. I think vaccines are, — certain vaccines — are incredible, but maybe some aren't. And if they aren't, we have to find out. But when you talk about autism, because it was brought up, and you look at the amount we have today versus 20 or 25 years ago, it's pretty scary," Trump added.
The controversy over vaccines and autism began with a 1998 study led by Andrew Wakefield, a British researcher, that suggested a possible link between the MMR (measles-mumps-rubella) vaccine and autism. However, numerous scientific studies since then have found no evidence supporting this connection. The 1998 study was later discredited after it was found false and Wakefield lost his medical license. The journal that published the paper retracted it, acknowledging that it should never have been published in the first place.
In an earlier interview, anti-vaccine advocate, Kennedy Jr. asserted that thimerosal, a preservative found in certain vaccines, was connected to brain damage and autism in children. However, according to the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), "there is no evidence of harm caused by the low doses of thimerosal in vaccines, except for minor reactions like redness and swelling at the injection site."
Meanwhile, Trump reassured that Kennedy Jr's leadership is going to do "a lot of good things." "He's not going to upset any system. He's not looking to reinvent the wheel totally. But when you look at the numbers, we really don't have a very healthy country," Trump added.
