President Donald Trump on Monday instructed pregnant women not to take Tylenol, claiming there’s a connection between Tylenol, vaccines, and autism. The maker of the popular drug is pushing back, saying there’s no link between the use of Tylenol and autism.

Dr. Jeffrey A. Singer, a senior fellow at the Cato Institute, issued this statement on the claim:

“President Trump and HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. this week announced “bold actions to tackle the autism epidemic.” While autism research deserves continued attention, expanding diagnostic criteria and improved awareness largely explain the rise in diagnoses. Proposals such as government warning labels on acetaminophen risk politicizing unsettled science and steering research toward predetermined conclusions, as past public health missteps have done. The FDA’s efficacy requirements also delay access to treatments doctors already prescribe safely off-label, and fast-tracking individual label changes only tinkers at the margins. If the goal is to help children with autism, the best step government can take is to get out of the way of science and medicine.”

If you’d like to speak with Dr. Singer, please reach out to mmiller@​cato.​org.