Trump says anti-vaxxers 'have to get their shots' despite his repeated statements linking vaccinations to autism
'The vaccinations are so important,' president says outside the White House
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Donald Trump has said people "have to get their shots" in an apparent attempt to encourage vaccinations in the face of a measles outbreak sweeping parts of the US. In the past, the president has repeatedly linked vaccinations to autism.
"The vaccinations are so important. This is really going around now," he told reporters outside the White House. "They have to get their shots."
The president was speaking in the wake of a troubling resurgence in the spread of the disease, which was once eradicated. The number of measles cases in the US is now at the highest level since 2000.
Some 700 cases have been reported this year, and the spread has been largely attributed to misinformation that is turning parents against vaccines.
The warning comes despite the fact that Mr Trump has repeatedly attempted to link vaccinations and autism, flying in the face of scientific evidence.
He has tweeted about the conspiracy theory more than 20 times, to the dismay of leading scientific groups. Mr Trump also met with leading anti-vaccination campaigners before his election.
The US's own federal agency, the Centres for Disease Control, has repeatedly urged citizens to ensure that they and their children are vaccinated.
“Credible scientific evidence shows that vaccines are very safe and do not cause autism spectrum disorders (ASD)," it said in a statement last year, amid concern about Mr Trump's links to the anti-vaxx cause.
“CDC, the Federal Drug Administration, and the Advisory Committee on Immunisation Practices, regularly review data to ensure that vaccine recommendations are based on the latest available science to provide safe and effective protection against serious diseases. Concerned parents should be reassured that recommended childhood vaccines have a strong safety record.”
It added: “For the general population, maintaining high vaccination levels is important not only for the individual person but also to protect potentially deadly diseases from spreading to the most vulnerable among us, such as patients with weakened immune systems and newborn children who are too young to be vaccinated.”
The president made the comments as he spoke to reporters before leaving for Indiana, where he will speak at the annual NRA convention. During the same discussion, he referred to himself as "the youngest person" and attacked newly declared Democrat candidate Joe Biden.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments