Donald Trump says by changing the way doctors vaccinate, it will make a 'big impact on autism'


Donald Trump said that while he's "totally in favor of vaccines," he would like to see children receive their vaccinations in smaller doses over a longer period of time.
Trump said he has seen a link between vaccines and autism, which has "become an epidemic" and is "out of control." He added: "You take a baby in...you take this little beautiful baby and you pump it with what looks like it's meant for a horse, not a child. People that work for me, just the other day, two-year-old, two-and-a-half-year-old, beautiful child, they went to have a vaccine and came back and a week later they got a tremendous fever, got very, very sick, and now is autistic." If babies start getting "the same amount just in little sections," he said, "you will see a big impact on autism."
Dr. Ben Carson, a retired pediatric neurosurgeon, called Trump an "okay doctor," and said that "we have extremely well documented proof that there's no autism associated with vaccinations, but it is true that we are probably given way too many in too short of a time. A lot of pediatricians now recognize that." Ophthalmologist Rand Paul said he's "all for vaccines and also all for freedom," adding, "even if science doesn't say bunching up isn't a problem, I ought to have the right to spread my vaccines out a little bit at the very least." Catherine Garcia
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
Critics' choice: 2025 James Beard Award winners
Feature Featuring a casually elegant restaurant, recipes nearly lost to war, and more
-
How will Trump's spending bill impact student loans?
the explainer Here's what the Republicans' domestic policy bill means for current and former students
-
Can the US economy survive Trump's copper tariffs?
Today's Big Question The price hike 'could upend' the costs of cars, houses and appliances
-
Judge nixes wiping medical debt from credit checks
Speed Read Medical debt can now be included in credit reports
-
Grijalva wins Democratic special primary for Arizona
Speed Read She will go up against Republican nominee Daniel Butierez to fill the US House seat her father held until his death earlier this year
-
US inflation jumps as Trump tariffs 'bite'
Speed Read Consumer prices are climbing and the inflation rate rose to its highest level in four months
-
SCOTUS greenlights mass DOE firings
Speed Read The Supreme Court will allow the Trump administration to further shrink the Education Department
-
Cuomo announces third-party run for NYC mayor
Speed Read He will go up against progressive Democratic powerhouse Zohran Mamdani and incumbent Mayor Eric Adams
-
Secret Service 'failures' on Trump shooting
Speed Read Two new reports detail security breakdowns that led to attempts on the president's life
-
Trump set to hit Canada with 35% tariffs
Speed Read The president accused Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney of failing to stop the cross-border flow of fentanyl
-
Mahmoud Khalil files $20M claim over ICE detention
Speed Read This is the 'first damages complaint' brought by an individual targeted by the Trump's administration's 'crackdown' on Gaza war protesters