Vice President Vance emphasized on Wednesday the importance of consulting a doctor for advice on using Tylenol during pregnancy following President Trump’s statement earlier in the week urging pregnant women to avoid it due to possible autism risks.
In an exclusive interview with Reshad Hudson, Vance was questioned about appropriate pain relief for pregnant women in light of the president’s controversial remarks, which have faced opposition from medical professionals.
“The takeaway from the president’s comments, along with the CDC’s advice, is to exercise caution. We understand that some medications come with side effects, yet sometimes their use is justified despite those risks,” Vance, a father to three young children, noted during the North Carolina interview.
“So, my guidance to pregnant women would be very simple, which is follow your doctor. Right? Talk to your doctor about these things,” Vance added.
The vice president mentioned experiences with his own children when considering Tylenol but noted that healthcare providers had cautioned about possible side effects, emphasizing that in situations like a high fever, medication might be necessary.
“I believe it’s a situation-specific decision,” Vance expressed. “From a broader perspective, the CDC and [Health and Human Services Secretary] Bobby Kennedy stress the significance of recognizing side effects associated with these drugs. Following the science is crucial.
“Sometimes, this might require us to be more cautious with certain medications, which is beneficial. However, the decision to take a medication is very context-specific, and hence, I strongly recommend consulting your doctor,” he concluded.
Trump and top health officials held a press conference Monday where they said pregnant women should not take acetaminophen, the active ingredient in Tylenol, for pain relief due to a potential risk of autism, despite no new evidence proving the drug directly causes the condition.
The president repeatedly said “don’t take Tylenol” and recommended that pregnant women limit use of acetaminophen except in case of an extremely high fever “if you can’t tough it out.”
Tylenol has been one of the only over-the-counter pain medications considered safe for pregnant women; other options such as ibuprofen or aspirin can increase risks of birth defects.
Medical experts quickly pushed back on Trump’s comments, and some Republicans and members of Trump’s own administration have sought to clean up his remarks.
Mehmet Oz, who leads the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, said in an interview with TMZ on Wednesday that pregnant women should consult with a physician and use the medication if they have a high fever.
“The doctor’s almost certainly going to prescribe you something. Tylenol might be one of the things they give.”
Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) also pushed back on Trump’s remarks, saying the “preponderance of evidence shows” there is no link between acetaminophen use during pregnancy and autism.
“The concern is that women will be left with no options to manage pain in pregnancy. We must be compassionate to this problem,” Cassidy, a physician, posted on the social platform X.
Asked Wednesday during the interview about Cassidy’s comments, Vance said he was supportive of continuing to study the issue.
“If the argument is, ‘Let’s come up with more evidence and let’s do more science,’ then I’m absolutely on board with that,” he said.
“If you look at the evidence we have right now, it’s pretty clear that Tylenol has some side effects. Some of those are not even controversial. Some of them are maybe a little bit more controversial,” Vance added. “But what we ought to be doing is doing the science, following the evidence, and being honest with people about the side effects that are out there.”
