Fat Bears, Bold Claims

Fat Bears, Bold Claims https://aepc.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/iStock-1365025680-1-scaled.jpeg 2560 1707 AEPC Health AEPC Health //aepc.us/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/AEPC-LOGO-v1.png September 27, 2025 September 27, 2025

It’s that time of year again—Fat Bear Week! Katmai National Park’s brown bears strut their salmon-stuffed bellies in a March Madness–style bracket to see who’s packed on the most pounds. Fans around the world cheer these furry champions, a lighthearted reminder that in nature, sometimes bigger really is better.

But while the bears bulk up, human headlines took a heavier turn. President Donald Trump, alongside HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and other federal health leaders, raised unfounded concerns about Tylenol and childhood vaccines at an event on Monday. If this week’s news were fish, Katmai’s bears would have feasted. Let’s reel in some of the big catches.

Fighting the Heat
Tylenol’s story began in the 1950s with Robert McNeil Jr. of Philadelphia, who launched the first children’s Tylenol elixir in a fire engine–shaped box marketed “for little hotheads.” Parents loved it, and an adult form soon followed. By 1960, Tylenol was an over-the-counter staple.

But the path hasn’t been smooth. In 1982, seven people in Chicago died after taking cyanide-laced Tylenol capsules, sparking nationwide panic. Johnson & Johnson recalled 31 million bottles and introduced tamper-proof packaging—now an industry standard—turning disaster into a textbook case of crisis management. Subsequent recalls reminded Americans that even trusted brands can stumble again.

A Grizzly Debate
At the September 22 press conference, Trump claimed that acetaminophen—Tylenol’s active ingredient—may contribute to autism when taken during pregnancy. He urged women to “tough it out” instead of taking the drug and cautioned against giving Tylenol to babies. Federal officials followed with plans for new warning labels and even raised leucovorin as a possible future treatment for autism.

Bear Tracks in the Data
The Trump administration cited some studies, including Harvard research, that suggest a possible link between prenatal acetaminophen use and autism. However, experts point to the flaws and limits of these studies, noting that other respected studies do not find an association. And association is not causation – a link doesn’t mean Tylenol causes autism.

Research has also not shown that giving Tylenol to children causes autism. The American Academy of Pediatrics says acetaminophen is “safe for children when dosed correctly and under the guidance of a pediatrician.”

Claws Out Over Vaccines
The press conference also reignited childhood vaccine debates. Trump suggested splitting the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) shot into three separate vaccines and again linked vaccines broadly to autism—claims with no scientific basis. The idea of separate vaccines for MMR traces back to Andrew Wakefield, whose 1998 study spread the false vaccine-autism link. The paper was retracted, and he was stripped of his medical license.

Public health experts quickly pushed back. Decades of large studies show no link between vaccines and autism. The American Academy of Pediatrics warned that misrepresenting science “poses a threat to the health of children.”

Separate MMR vaccines don’t exist in the U.S.—they were phased out in 2009. Reintroducing them would require years of trials and approvals and could reduce vaccination rates.

Trump also questioned newborn hepatitis B shots, suggesting kids wait until age 12. Doctors warn that’s risky—hepatitis B can pass from mother to child at birth, survive on surfaces for a week, and spread through tiny traces of blood. About 2.4 million Americans carry the virus, half without knowing it.

Sorting the Salmon from the Spin
As Katmai’s bears gorge themselves without hesitation, humans face a trickier path: sorting evidence from speculation, politics from science. Tylenol remains one of the most widely used medicines in the world, and vaccines one of the most effective public health tools.

Research will continue, but for now doctors advise sticking with established, science-backed guidance. The bears can trust instinct—but we’ll need to keep weighing the evidence, pound by pound. No hibernation for us!

Happy reading,
Suzanne Daniels

News Watch: eye glasses to slow childhood nearsightedness approved, ER deaths rise after hospitals are purchased by private equity firms, and exemptions may limit impact of pharmaceutical tariffs.
Autism Insights: Trump twists autism, Tylenol & vaccine facts, paracetamol not linked to autism, and “no downside” to avoiding Tylenol during pregnancy – fact check.
Treatment Talk: possible therapy for autism, treatment for Huntington’s disease and new rheumatoid arthritis research.
Lighter Side of Life: including my personal favorite, The Bears Are Back and They’re Fatter Than Ever!