Viewpoints: Autism Experts Respond To Claims Of Tylenol, Vaccine Link; Wellness Industry Is Creating Panic
Opinion writers discuss these public health issues.
The New York Times:
‘That Was Shocking’: Four Experts React To Trump’s Autism Announcement
On Monday, President Trump suggested that vaccines were contributing to the increase in autism and told parents to space out their children’s vaccine schedule. Mr. Trump and top health officials, including Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., linked Tylenol to autism. Trump said pregnant women should only take it if they couldn’t “tough it out.” (Helen Tager-Flusberg, Alison Singer, Brian K. Lee, and Eric Garcia, 9/23)
The New York Times:
What The Government Autism Announcement Got So Wrong
I wasn’t looking for a diagnosis in April of 2004 when I began reading a New York Times article on Asperger’s syndrome — then psychiatry’s label for a less-disabling form of autism. But soon after reading it, I had a whole new way of understanding myself. (Maia Szalavitz, 9/22)
The Washington Post:
Peddling Shoddy Autism Science Helps No One And Insults Moms
A rule of thumb: The more certainty a person expresses regarding the causes of autism, the less knowledgeable they are. President Donald Trump and his advisers expressed excessive certitude on Monday about this complex neurodevelopmental disorder. (9/22)
Stat:
The Wellness Industry Needs To Stop Scaring People
I’m a psychiatrist, a mother, and an increasingly anxious wellness enthusiast. And I have a confession: some of the worst anxiety I’ve experienced came not from my clinical work or child-rearing responsibilities, but from reading too many articles about what might be harming my health. (Ana Ivkovic Smith, 9/23)
Kansas City Star:
Kansas Pastor Lost Mom To COVID-19; Now Denied Vaccination
Five years ago, the Rev. Shelly McNaughton-Lawrence performed her first funeral for a victim of the COVID-19 pandemic — her own mother. LuAnn McNaughton was buried in a sealed coffin without being embalmed, because the family made a decision to minimize the risk of COVID exposure for the mortuary workers. (Dion Lefler, 9/23)
