Tylenol claims continue our unraveling of public health

As a physician who has dedicated his career to infectious diseases and public health, I've long understood that the bedrock of a healthy society isn't just advanced medicine, but an enduring trust in science and the institutions that champion it.

The fundamental truth: without it, even the most profound medical breakthroughs cannot achieve their full potential in safeguarding our collective well-being. The disturbing trajectory of our nation's public health and political discourse, however, suggests we are teetering on the brink of significant self-inflicted damage, largely due to a dangerous erosion of this critical trust.

This trust between science and elected officials is further eroded when the federal government makes baseless claims like declaring that pregnant women should avoid taking acetaminophen because it's linked to autism. The truth? The evidence we have is there is no link between the active ingredient of Tylenol and autism.

While some studies show that Tylenol use during pregnancy and autism diagnoses appear together, this is a correlation, not direct causation. This means Tylenol isn't proven to cause autism; instead, the link is likely because pregnant women often take Tylenol when they have a fever or pain, and it's those underlying problems — like a serious infection causing a fever — that researchers think might actually be connected to developmental differences, not the Tylenol itself. So, Tylenol use just signals that these other potential issues might be present. There continue to be endless baseless claims implying that vaccines are another cause of autism.

The latest incorrect claims continue to create a chasm between the public and the scientific community in the United States, which has been a global leader in public health.

We've witnessed the near eradication of diseases that once tore apart families and communities, the development of lifesaving vaccines, and the proactive defense against emerging threats. As a nation, we accurately highlighted the impact of vaccination, from childhood immunizations that protect against devastating illnesses to the potential possibilities of vaccines to treat cancer. These successes are the direct result of science-driven policy, and public support for research.

However, an unprecedented dismantling of everything we've accomplished is underway. Before the Tylenol claims, former directors of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention wrote in an open letter that the federal government was leading a deliberate campaign by firing thousands of federal health workers, thus weakening vital programs against cancer, heart disease, lead poisoning and more. Amid the largest measles outbreak in a generation, they note a disturbing focus on unproven treatments and a downplaying of the very vaccines that have historically protected us.

What these esteemed leaders describe is not merely a change in administrative policy; it is a fundamental betrayal of scientific principles. When experts are replaced by unqualified individuals, when promising research is canceled, and when support for global vaccination programs is withdrawn based on flawed data, the consequences are immediate and dire. The shocking dismissal of Dr. Susan Monarez as CDC director, reportedly for her refusal to rubber-stamp unfounded vaccine recommendations, is but another example of this trend.

We are jeopardizing decades of progress, becoming dangerously ill-prepared for future health emergencies, and sacrificing the scientific advancements that could define our future health landscape. The cutting-edge research into universal flu vaccines, for example, requires not only scientific breakthroughs but also public trust and robust infrastructure to translate laboratory discoveries into widespread protection.

The CDC, like any large institution, is not perfect. But its mission — to protect Americans from threats to their lives and health — has remained constant through countless challenges. The dedication of its staff, often working silently to contain outbreaks and safeguard communities, has been unwavering. To witness this crucial agency, once the global gold standard, being systematically undermined from within is heartbreaking and profoundly dangerous.

It is imperative that we, as a nation, collectively demand a return to evidence-based policy, defend the integrity of our scientific institutions, and unequivocally choose trust in science over dangerous, unfounded speculation.

Our health — and our future — depends on it.

This guest essay reflects the views of Dr. Bruce Farber, chief of public health and epidemiology at Northwell Health.