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| Donald Trump says vaccinations are causing an autism 'epidemic' | Donald Trump says vaccinations are causing an autism 'epidemic' |
| (about 20 hours later) | |
| Donald Trump has linked vaccinations to what he dubbed an autism “epidemic” during a presidential debate. | Donald Trump has linked vaccinations to what he dubbed an autism “epidemic” during a presidential debate. |
| Mr Trump, who is the current frontrunner among the Republican presidential hopefuls, claimed autism rates have risen into an “epidemic” over the last few decades that is “totally out of control”. | Mr Trump, who is the current frontrunner among the Republican presidential hopefuls, claimed autism rates have risen into an “epidemic” over the last few decades that is “totally out of control”. |
| “Autism has become an epidemic. 25 years ago, 35 years ago, you look at the statistics, it’s not even close. It has gotten totally out of control,” he said. | “Autism has become an epidemic. 25 years ago, 35 years ago, you look at the statistics, it’s not even close. It has gotten totally out of control,” he said. |
| The property developer and TV personality said he had evidence of a relationship between autism and vaccinations after seeing an employee’s child diagnosed with the disability following an adverse reaction to a vaccine. | The property developer and TV personality said he had evidence of a relationship between autism and vaccinations after seeing an employee’s child diagnosed with the disability following an adverse reaction to a vaccine. |
| Any link between autism and the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine has been widely discredited after a 1998 researcher paper by Andrew Wakefield, claiming to prove the connection, was revealed to be fraudulent. | Any link between autism and the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine has been widely discredited after a 1998 researcher paper by Andrew Wakefield, claiming to prove the connection, was revealed to be fraudulent. |
| The editor-in-chief of the Lancet, who published the paper, retracted the research saying it was “utterly false”. Wakefield was struck off the UK medical register three-months later. | The editor-in-chief of the Lancet, who published the paper, retracted the research saying it was “utterly false”. Wakefield was struck off the UK medical register three-months later. |
| But Trump claimed he has "seen" evidence of a child suffering after effects of the vaccine. “I’ve seen it,” he said, “a beautiful child, went to have the vaccine… a week later got a tremendous fever, got very, very sick, now is autistic.” | But Trump claimed he has "seen" evidence of a child suffering after effects of the vaccine. “I’ve seen it,” he said, “a beautiful child, went to have the vaccine… a week later got a tremendous fever, got very, very sick, now is autistic.” |
| Mr Trump also suggested vaccinations given to babies and children where similar to those “pumped” into “a horse”. | Mr Trump also suggested vaccinations given to babies and children where similar to those “pumped” into “a horse”. |
| The Republican called for vaccinations to be administered in “smaller doses over a longer period of time”. | The Republican called for vaccinations to be administered in “smaller doses over a longer period of time”. |
| Mr Trump made the comments after presidential candidate Ben Carson, a retired paediatric neurosurgeon, said there is no link between vaccinations and autism. | Mr Trump made the comments after presidential candidate Ben Carson, a retired paediatric neurosurgeon, said there is no link between vaccinations and autism. |
| “The fact of the matter is, we have extremely well-documented proof that there’s no autism associated with vaccinations,” said Mr Carson. | “The fact of the matter is, we have extremely well-documented proof that there’s no autism associated with vaccinations,” said Mr Carson. |
| CNN moderator Jake Tapper noted that if elected president Mr Trump would be in charge of the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health -“both of which say you are wrong”. | CNN moderator Jake Tapper noted that if elected president Mr Trump would be in charge of the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health -“both of which say you are wrong”. |
| The claims sparked an immediate backlash: | The claims sparked an immediate backlash: |
| Carson: Vaccines have been proven to not cause autism Trump: ok... that sounds fake but ok | Carson: Vaccines have been proven to not cause autism Trump: ok... that sounds fake but ok |
| I'm not stopping Twitter. The world needs to know that Trump is dead wrong on vaccines. They do not cause Autism. #VaccinesWork | I'm not stopping Twitter. The world needs to know that Trump is dead wrong on vaccines. They do not cause Autism. #VaccinesWork |
| Hey Trump, don't call Autism an epidemic. It's not a virus. | Hey Trump, don't call Autism an epidemic. It's not a virus. |
| Trump thinks vaccines cause autism... He should've been in my bio class today when I learned that they specifically DO NOT #GodBlessAmerica | Trump thinks vaccines cause autism... He should've been in my bio class today when I learned that they specifically DO NOT #GodBlessAmerica |
| I love when Trump tries to talk about vaccines causing autism while next to 2 surgeons #yousoundstupid #CNNDebate | I love when Trump tries to talk about vaccines causing autism while next to 2 surgeons #yousoundstupid #CNNDebate |
| Mr Trump has repeatedly linked vaccinations to autism for a number of years. | Mr Trump has repeatedly linked vaccinations to autism for a number of years. |
| In a 2007 press conference he said: “When I was growing up, autism wasn't really a factor. And now all of a sudden, it's an epidemic. My theory is the shots… I really think it does something to the children," Sun Sentinel reported. | In a 2007 press conference he said: “When I was growing up, autism wasn't really a factor. And now all of a sudden, it's an epidemic. My theory is the shots… I really think it does something to the children," Sun Sentinel reported. |
| D. Mark Schleiss, Professor of Paediatrics and Director of Division of Infectious disease and Immunology, University of Minnesota said of Mr Trump's comments: I strongly disagree with Donald Trump's assessment that vaccines are a trigger for autism in some children. This statement is dangerous; patently false; has been proven inaccurate; and put children and society at risk for outbreaks of vaccine-preventable illness. I believe Mr Trump should apologize for his remarks and retract these statements immediately. | D. Mark Schleiss, Professor of Paediatrics and Director of Division of Infectious disease and Immunology, University of Minnesota said of Mr Trump's comments: I strongly disagree with Donald Trump's assessment that vaccines are a trigger for autism in some children. This statement is dangerous; patently false; has been proven inaccurate; and put children and society at risk for outbreaks of vaccine-preventable illness. I believe Mr Trump should apologize for his remarks and retract these statements immediately. |
| "There is no evidence that paediatricians "recognise" that we give too many vaccines in too short a time. Pediatricians do not believe this, and there is no scientific plausibility to support this claim. Any claim that an excessive number of vaccines can "overwhelm" the immune system is false and not supported by any scientific evidence or, for that matter, even any biological plausibility." | |
| Mr Trump is leading the Republican Presidential Nomination polls by over 10 points according to Real Clear Politics. | Mr Trump is leading the Republican Presidential Nomination polls by over 10 points according to Real Clear Politics. |