Vance Says Pregnant Women Should Follow Their Doctor on Tylenol

The World Health Organization differed from the CDC, saying studies have found ‘no consistent association’ between Tylenol ingredient acetaminophen and autism.

Vice President JD Vance speaks at the Charlie Kirk memorial at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz., on Sept. 21, 2025. Madalina Kilroy/The Epoch Times

Vice President JD Vance said Sept. 24 that pregnant women should follow the advice of their doctor after the Trump administration this week recommended that pregnant women not take acetaminophen, the primary ingredient in Tylenol, due to the possible risk of autism.

“What I took from the president’s announcement and also the CDC’s recommendations here is we just have to be careful. We know some of these medications have side effects. We know that even despite those side effects, sometimes they’re necessary,” Vance told NewsNation, referring to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“So my guidance to pregnant women would be very simple, which is follow your doctor. Right? Talk to your doctor about these things,” Vance said, adding that the CDC and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy are arguing that “these drugs do have side effects. And we’ve got to follow the science wherever it leads.”

Vance, who has three children, added that “in some cases, that means that we should probably be a little bit more careful with some of these medications. I think being a little more mindful of these side effects is a good thing for everybody. But ultimately, whether you should take something is very context-specific, and that’s why I think you should lean on your doctor.”

Mehmet Oz, also known as Dr. Oz, who leads the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, told TMZ this week that pregnant women should speak with a doctor and use the drug 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,” he told the outlet.

The remarks come after the Food and Drug Administration notified doctors on Sept. 22 that using acetaminophen during pregnancy “may be associated with an increased risk of neurological conditions,” including autism and ADHD in children.

The FDA cited several large cohort studies to find a link between acetaminophen use and autism, while “some studies have described that the risk may be most pronounced when acetaminophen is taken chronically throughout pregnancy.”

Some health officials and doctors have disputed the Trump administration’s statements.

The World Health Organization (WHO) said in a Sept. 24 statement that large-scale studies over the past decade have found “no consistent association” between acetaminophen and autism or ADHD.

The U.N. health body added that it “recommends that all women continue to follow advice of their doctors or health workers, who can help assess individual circumstances and recommend necessary medicines.”

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, in a statement, also said that “suggestions that acetaminophen use in pregnancy causes autism are not only highly concerning to clinicians but also irresponsible when considering the harmful and confusing message they send to pregnant patients.”