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Trump’s Misleading Claims on Autism Diagnoses and Vaccines
During a Cabinet meeting, President Donald Trump inaccurately linked autism to vaccination, echoing sentiments expressed by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a prominent advocate of the anti-vaccine movement. Trump’s remarks, made on Thursday, included fabricated statistics regarding autism rates that lack a factual basis.
“It was one in 10,000 children had autism, and now it’s one in 31. Not 31,000, 31,” Trump stated, drawing attention to the sharp rise in reported autism diagnoses. However, data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reveals that approximately one in 36 children, not one in 31, are diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder as of the latest figures, a significant increase from one in 150 children diagnosed in the year 2000.
Trump’s remarks seemed to lean heavily on discredited data highlighted during Kennedy’s Senate confirmation hearings, where he also cited the one-in-10,000 statistic. The source of this erroneous figure remains unclear, yet it has been reiterated by Trump on multiple occasions.
“That is horrible—that’s a horrible statistic, isn’t it? And there’s gotta be something artificial out there that’s doing it,” Trump remarked, directly addressing Kennedy. His continued questioning implied an openness to alternative theories regarding the causes of autism.
Kennedy responded affirmatively, suggesting that impending research might soon illuminate the issue, stating, “We will know by September.” Trump followed up with a promise of significant revelations to come, hinting that findings could point to an environmental or medical cause for the increase in autism diagnoses.
Throughout his public career, Kennedy has promoted the notion that vaccines are responsible for autism, a theory that has been roundly discredited by extensive scientific research. Trump’s recent comments appear to confirm his alignment with this controversial viewpoint, following a previously leaked conversation where he seemed to make similar connections between vaccines and autism.
Experts have argued that the apparent increase in autism diagnoses may be attributed to an expansion in the criteria for autism spectrum disorder, allowing for a wider array of symptoms to be recognized. Additionally, greater public awareness and acceptance of diagnostic procedures have contributed to more children being identified with autism today than in previous decades, as noted by **ABC News**.
Despite claims of not being anti-vaccine, Kennedy has actively promoted unverified treatments and alternative remedies during a significant national measles outbreak. His recent suggestion that contracting measles might confer more long-term health benefits than vaccination reflects his controversial stance on the subject of vaccines and public health.
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www.yahoo.com