Britons should only trust British doctors and the NHS, the UK’s Labour government said on Tuesday morning, warning the nation to not pay “any attention whatsoever” to U.S. President Donald Trump over remarks on a potential link between autism and Tylenol, known by the generic name paracetamol or acetaminophen in Britain.
British Health Secretary Wes Streeting has expressed credulity over claims made in a press conference given by U.S. President Donald Trump, Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and Dr. Mehmet Oz on Monday where they warned of “some studies that suggest that” there may be a link between Paracetamol and autism if taken by mothers in pregnancy.
Speaking to national broadcaster ITV’s breakfast programme on Tuesday, Streeting said, “I trust doctors over President Trump, frankly, on this”.
The comments came just days after the end of President Donald Trump’s historic second state visit to the United Kingdom, when unity and cordiality between the British government and the President of the United States was being prioritised to an obvious and considerable degree. Yet, the cracks between Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and Trump were already evident during the trip, however, with the pair failing to see eye-to-eye on mass migration, cheap energy, and Palestine.
Rejecting the health warnings from the White House, Starmer’s cabinet minister Streeting told Britons: “I’ve just got to be really clear about this. There is no evidence to link the use of paracetamol by pregnant women to autism in their children, none”. Citing a study that he said “did not uphold those claims”, Streeting continued: “I would just say to people watching, don’t pay any attention whatsoever to what Donald Trump says about medicine.”
“British doctors, British scientists” and the state run healthcare provider the NHS should be preferred, he maintained. In comments reminiscent of the Covid-era mantra of ‘follow the science’, Streeting concluded: “It’s really important that a time when you know there is scepticism – and I don’t think scepticism itself, asking questions is in itself a bad thing, by all means, ask questions – but we’ve got to follow medical science.”
On Monday, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) was responding to studies which “suggest a potential association between acetaminophen used during pregnancy and adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes”. An FDA statement said it was aware of a “suggested correlation” and was consequently “taking action to make parents and doctors aware” through a label change.
The regulator stated: “It is important to note that while an association between acetaminophen and neurological conditions has been described in many studies, a causal relationship has not been established and there are contrary studies in the scientific literature.”
“The choice still belongs with parents. The precautionary principle may lead many to avoid using acetaminophen during pregnancy, especially since most low-grade fevers don’t require treatment. It remains reasonable, however, for pregnant women to use acetaminophen in certain scenarios,” the FDA added.
Streeting’s comments on Tuesday morning were not the only time he challenged President Trump on Tuesday. Hours later, after the U.S. President namechecked London in his U.N. General Assembly speech as a part of Western Europe under threat from multiculturalism, Streeting — who represents the very diverse East London Ilford area — issued a response.
He said: “[Labour party Mayor Sadiq Khan] is not trying to impose Sharia Law on London. This is a Mayor who marches with Pride, who stands up for difference of background and opinion, who’s focused on improving our transport, our air, our streets, our safety, our choices and chances. Proud he’s our Mayor.”
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