One More Time: Vaccines Don't Cause Autism

 In The Politics of Autism, I analyze the myth that vaccines cause autism. This bogus idea can hurt people by allowing diseases to spread.    Examples include measles, COVID, flu, and polio.

A number of posts discussed Trump's support for the discredited notion.

 Another leading anti-vaxxer is presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.  He has repeatedly compared vaccine mandates to the Holocaust.  Rolling Stone and Salon retracted an RFK article linking vaccines to autism.

He is now running for president as an independent

Mark R. O'Brian at The Conversation:

Vaccinations have provided significant protection for the public against infectious diseases. However, there was a modest decrease in support in 2023 nationwide for vaccine requirements for children to attend public schools.

In addition, the presidential candidacy of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a leading critic of childhood vaccination, has given him a prominent platform in which to amplify his views. This includes an extensive interview on the “Joe Rogan Experience,” a podcast with over 14 million subscribers. Notably, former President Donald Trump has said he is opposed to mandatory school COVID-19 vaccinations, and in a phone call Trump apparently wasn’t aware was being recorded, he appeared to endorse Kennedy’s views toward vaccines.

...

Public health data from 1974 to the present conclude that vaccines have saved at least 154 million lives worldwide over the past 50 years. Vaccines are also constantly monitored for safety in the U.S.

Nevertheless, the false claim that vaccines cause autism persists despite study after study of large populations throughout the world showing no causal link between them.

Claims about the dangers of vaccines often come from misrepresenting scientific research papers. Kennedy cites a 2005 report allegedly showing massive brain inflammation in monkeys in response to vaccination, when in fact the authors of that study state that there were no serious medical complications. A separate 2003 study that Kennedy claimed showed a 1,135% increase in autism in vaccinated versus unvaccinated children actually found no consistent significant association between vaccines and neurodevelopmental outcomes.

Kennedy also claims that a 2002 vaccine study included a control group of children 6 months of age and younger who were fed mercury-contaminated tuna sandwiches. This claim is false.

Fatty Acids in Umbilical Cord Blood

  In The Politics of Autism, I discuss various ideas about what causes the condition. 

From the University of Fukui:

After careful statistical analyses of the results, the researchers identified one compound in cord blood that may have strong implications for ASD severity, namely 11,12- dihydroxyeicosatrienoic acids (diHETrE), a dihydroxy fatty acid derived from arachidonic acid.

Here is a very long. growing, and probably incomplete list of other correlates, risk factors, and possible causes that have been the subject of serious studies: 

1. Inflammatory bowel disease;
2. Pesticides;
3. Air pollution and proximity to freeways;
4. Maternal thyroid issues;
5. Autoimmune disorders;
6. Induced labor;
7. Preterm birth;
8. Fever;  
9. Birth by cesarean section;
10. Anesthesia during cesarean sections;
11. Maternal and paternal obesity;
12. Maternal diabetes;
13. Maternal and paternal age;
14. Grandparental age;
15. Maternal post-traumatic stress disorder;
16. Maternal anorexia;
17. Smoking during pregnancy;
18. Cannabis use during pregnancy;
19. Antidepressant use during pregnancy;
20. Polycystic ovary syndrome;
21. Infant opioid withdrawal;
22. Zinc deficiency;
23. Sulfate deficiency;
24. Processed foods;
25. Maternal occupational exposure to solvents;
26. Congenital heart disease;
27. Insufficient placental allopregnanolone.
28. Estrogen in the womb;
29. Morning sickness;
30. Paternal family history;
31. Parental preterm birth;
32. Antiseizure meds
33. Location of forebears
34. Lithium
35. Aspartame
36. BPA
37. Brain inflammation
38. Maternal asthma
39. Infertility
40. Ultraprocessed foods
41. Household chemicals
42. Parental psychiatric disorders
43. Fluoride

Trump v. Vaccines

 In The Politics of Autism, I analyze the myth that vaccines cause autism. This bogus idea can hurt people by allowing diseases to spread.    Examples include measles, COVID, flu, and polio.

A number of posts discussed Trump's support for the discredited notion.

He’s said this before.

This is not one time thing. He did not misspeak. He says what he means and he means what he says.

All 50 states have K-12 vaccine requirements.

This is a threat to pull federal funding from every public school in the country. https://t.co/e03P4E5ivr

— Dr. Michelle Au (@AuforGA) July 28, 2024

Disabilities and the 2024 Campaign

 In The Politics of Autism, I discuss the issue's role in presidential campaigns.   In this campaign, a number of posts have discussed Trump's support for the discredited notion that vaccines cause autism.  He also has a bad record on disability issues more generally. 

Eric Garcia at The Independent:

Democrats commemorated the 34th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act by coming out swinging against Donald Trump, after his nephew claimed in a new memoir that the former president once suggested people with disabilities “should just die.”

“It’s hard to describe the pain millions of Americans with disabilities are feeling in response to Donald Trump’s newly-reported comments against folks with disabilities,” Senator Tammy Duckworth, who lost both of her legs serving in the Iraq War, said in a statement shared by the Democratic National Committee on Friday.

“But we know this is nothing new for him — he mocked a reporter with a physical disability, dismissed traumatic brain injuries as ‘not very serious,’ attempted to slash support for disabled veterans and so much more. Any human being who suggests that people with disabilities ‘should just die’ is fundamentally unfit to serve.”

Friday marks 34 years since former President George H W Bush, a Republican, signed the Americans with Disabilities Act into law, thanks to bipartisan collaboration in Congress.

In recent years, there has been less agreeement between parties on disability rights. The DNC’s release points out that Trump faced multiple lawsuits during his presidency claiming that his properties did not comply with the ADA and also notes his attempts to repeal the Affordable Care Act, which would have reduced funding for Medicaid, which many people with disabilities rely on to receive care in their homes.

The Republican National Committee’s “research” account on X has also taken heat for mocking Vice President Kamala Harris in 2022 for describing what she was wearing, a common practice to aid people who are blind or who have low-vision. The Republican National Committee did not release a statement commemorating the law.

Democrats also noted how Project 2025 proposes eliminating the Department of Education, which enforces accommodations for students with disabilities under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.

She was addressing a table of the blind, you morons. https://t.co/gI7yRgVDPy

— A.J. Delgado (@AJDelgado13) July 21, 2024

Project 2025

 In The Politics of Autism, I write about social services, special education and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. 

Project 2025 of the Heritage Foundation has a long volume titled Mandate for Leadership: The Conservative Promise.  Page 326:

 The Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) houses nearly two dozen programs, ranging from funding for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and the National Technical Institute for the Deaf to Special Olympics Funding and the American Printing House for the Blind. Most IDEA funding should be converted into a no-strings formula block grant targeted at students with disabilities and distributed directly to local education agencies by Health and Human Service’s Administration for Community Living.

IDEA is not a civil rights statute.   Its requirements are conditions of federal aid -- also known as "strings."  "No strings" means "no requirements

Spongebob Is Autistic

In The Politics of Autism, I discuss depictions of ASD in popular culture.  

Malia Mendez at LAT:

Tom Kenny is canonizing a popular “SpongeBob SquarePants” fan theory.

Kenny, who has voiced the animated series’ star sponge since the show’s premiere in 1999 and received two Daytime Emmy Awards for his performance, recently confirmed that his character has autism.

“SpongeBob’s kind of on the spectrum, too, as a character,” he said during a May Q&A at Motor City Comic Con in Detroit. Footage of the Q&A reposted Tuesday on X has since gone viral.

During the panel, Kenny recalled the first time he was pressed on the subject: “A person who was obviously on the spectrum came up to me and said, ‘I have a question for you, Tom Kenny, is SpongeBob autistic

Trump to People with Disabilities: "Just Die."

 In The Politics of Autism, I discuss the issue's role in presidential campaigns.   In this campaign, a number of posts have discussed Trump's support for the discredited notion that vaccines cause autism.  He also has a bad record on disability issues more generally. 

At TIME, Fred Trump recalls his uncle Donald at an Oval Office meeting on disabilities:

He sounded interested and even concerned. I thought he had been touched by what the doctor and advocates in the meeting had just shared about their journey with their patients and their own family members. But I was wrong.

“Those people . . . ” Donald said, trailing off. “The shape they’re in, all the expenses, maybe those kinds of people should just die.”

I truly did not know what to say. He was talking about expenses. We were talking about human lives. For Donald, I think it really was about the expenses, even though we were there to talk about efficiencies, smarter investments, and human dignity.

Fred Trump also recalls an earlier conversation about raising money for his severely disabled son.

I got him up to speed on what Eric had told me. I said I’d heard the fund for William was running low, and unfortunately, the expenses certainly were not easing up as our son got older. In fact, with inflation and other pressures, the needs were greater than they’d been. “We’re getting some blowback from Maryanne and Elizabeth and Ann Marie. We may need your help with this. Eric wanted me to give you a call.”

Donald took a second as if he was thinking about the whole situation.

“I don’t know,” he finally said, letting out a sigh. “He doesn’t recognize you. Maybe you should just let him die and move down to Florida.”

Bullying, Depression, and Anxiety

 In The Politics of Autism, I discuss challenges facing autistic adults and children.  One is bullying.

Accardo, A.L., Neely, L.C., Pontes, N.M.H. et al. Bullying Victimization is Associated with Heightened Rates of Anxiety and Depression Among Autistic and ADHD Youth: National Survey of Children’s Health 2016–2020. J Autism Dev Disord (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-024-06479-z.  The abstract:

Autistic youth and youth with ADHD have heightened rates of bullying victimization, anxiety, and depression. The purpose of this research is to use nationally representative US data to 1) estimate the prevalence of anxiety and depression among bullied neurodivergent youth and 2) investigate whether the association between bullying victimization and anxiety or depression is significantly greater among autistic youth and youth with ADHD. For this research, we used five years of data (2016–2020) from the nationally representative National Survey of Children’s Health (NSCH), youth ages 12–17 years (n = 71,973). Data were analyzed with R and the R survey package to estimate average marginal percentages, risk differences, and additive interactions as recommended by STROBE guidelines. The study identified heightened anxiety and depression among bullied autistic or ADHD youth. Results also showed that the increase in the rate of anxiety or depression associated with bullying victimization was significantly greater among autistic youth and youth with ADHD relative to non-autistic non-ADHD youth; interactions were significant among both male and female youth. Autistic youth, youth with ADHD, and youth with co-occurring autism and ADHD are particularly vulnerable to bullying victimization and associated depression and anxiety. Future research is needed to understand why the association between bullying victimization and depression/anxiety is significantly greater among autistic and non-autistic ADHD youth. Recommendations include exploring school-wide anti-stigma initiatives to stop the reciprocal bullying–anxiety/depression cycle, routine bullying and mental health screening of autistic and ADHD youth, and clinical management of bullied autistic and ADHD youth with anxiety or depression

Catholic Schools and Disabilities

 In The Politics of Autism, I write about education and the day-to-day challenges facing autistic people and their families. 

IDEA does not apply to private and parochial schools.

 Katie Yoder at Catholic Review:

According to a report by the National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA), the largest, private professional education association in the world, close to 1.7 million students attended nearly 6,000 U.S. Catholic schools for the academic year 2022-23.

Only a low percentage of those schools include students with disabilities or learning differences, according to available estimates. The National Catholic Board on Full Inclusion, a nonprofit that supports inclusive education, finds that about 2 percent of Catholic schools include students with intellectual disabilities, while the NCEA estimates that 6.9 percent of Catholic schools have students with a diagnosed disability or learning difference.

“We think that that’s an underreport, by the way, because several dioceses with large numbers of participating students have not supplied data to us,” NCEA President and CEO Lincoln Snyder said. “We also know that there’s a lot of children with learning differences that may not be diagnosed or may not be reported.”

Looking at the data, Colleen McCoy-Cejka, co-founder of Inclusion Solutions, which equips schools to educate all learners, also emphasized that around 20% of the population is neurodivergent, which simply means that differences in their brains affect how their brains function.

“That means every classroom everywhere is neurodiverse,” she said. “What we really want to know is: How many Catholic schools are intentionally addressing the learning differences that are present in their schools with excellence?”

Simulated Traffic Stops and Blue Envelopes

 In The Politics of Autism, I discuss interactions between first responders and autistic people.  Some jurisdictions allow autistic drivers to ask for a blue envelope to disclose the driver's diagnosis in case of an accident or traffic stop.  Others have ID cards.

Grindle, H., Sassu, K.A., Dooley, J.M. et al. Facilitating Interaction with Police During Routine Traffic Stops for Persons with ASD. J Autism Dev Disord (2024). https://doi-org.ccl.idm.oclc.org/10.1007/s10803-024-06459-3  Abstract:

A product of ASD socio-communicative-deficits and insufficient police training related to autism, ASD-police interactions have the potential to become problematic, with negative outcomes for ASD individuals and police alike. Thus, the combination of police acclimation, simulatory experience for drivers with ASD and the introduction of Connecticut’s recent Blue Envelope could improve overall experiences for drivers. A simulated routine traffic stop practice event, utilising pre- and post- measures was conducted in an effort to quantify drivers’ feelings about current and future interactions with police. Our prediction that participants would experience a statistically significant improvement in anxiety, comfort and self-perceived knowledge levels about future ASD-police interactions immediately following the intervention was confirmed. Our prediction that initially significant disparities between participants with and without police experience – those with previous police encounters versus those that don’t - would become not significant immediately following the intervention was disconfirmed. While the longitudinal data suggested that improved post-intervention ASD psychological measures remained statistically significant in the long-term, the sample responses to our long-term questionnaire were too few in number to make any definitive conclusions. It is suggested that practice traffic stops such as these could benefit both drivers with ASD and law enforcement nationwide. It is further suggested that police officer curriculums should include additional training regarding special populations.

Progressing the Blue Envelope Protocol

In recent years, the Blue Envelope program has continued to grow, partially helped by the running of these traffic stop practice interventions. Widespread progress has been made throughout the United States when it comes to the protection of ASD drivers and implementing appropriate, thorough police training. However, such efforts have not been united, but implemented on a seemingly state-by-state basis. The Blue Envelope provides a tool that can be standardized and universally used across the nation. With pre-existing state motor vehicle departments, the critical infrastructure required for the mass distribution of the blue envelopes is already in place. A crucial step towards bettering the safety of ASD individuals on the road, a national availability would ensure consistent support to this special group, regardless of place of residence. The national expansion of the program would voice the importance of inclusivity and accessibility to ASD individuals around the United States, emphasising that their ability to participate and enjoy in life’s activities is just as important as anyone else’s, reducing stigmatisation towards ASD persons.
Expanding Police Training

Fundamentally, the maximal efficacy of the Blue Envelope will only be achieved if police are properly trained to understand its utility for ASD drivers and what socio-communicative-cognitive deficits have the potential to complicate ASD driver-police interactions. The voluminous number of horrific ASD-police incidents illuminate the inadequate training law enforcement has previously received (Soares et al., 2019; Hepworth, 2017).

For better ASD-police outcomes, police officers need to undergo training that increases their understandings of the ASD population and provides them with strategies that are likely to result in successful interactions with this population. When police arrive on the scene, their presence can sometimes escalate an already tense environment. It is imperative that the time allocations of police training program are proportionally reallocated to address the disproportionate problems vulnerable populations face, as the present “exposure of trainees to the particular needs of persons with ASD is limited” (Osborn, 2008, p.372). While over half of law enforcement officers had responded to a call involving an individual with ASD within the last year, over 70% of officers reported they had received “no formal training in ASD” (Gardner et al., 2019, p.1278). Ultimately, the creation of a national ASD-related police curriculum, one that is constantly reviewed and updated, would be incredibly beneficial to state governed police training protocols. Police officers have shown a willingness to learn about this issue (Swan & Perepa, 2019), it is time we put in place the appropriate framework for that to be made possible.
Simulation Opportunities

With high rates of ASD-police issues, it is important drivers are doing what they can to limit the likelihood of an unpleasant police engagement. Subsequently, programs such as the practice traffic stop intervention that was facilitated and referenced herein should be universally accessible, with routine simulation experiences run across the country. The psychological improvements observed suggest that the event we ran would be immensely beneficial to the larger ASD driving community. If drivers across the country were able to participate in events such as this, it is highly probable that similar positive outcomes would be yielded on a larger scale, whereby improving positive outcomes for all those involved, drivers and law enforcement alike (Gammicchia & Johnson, n.d.). Effective implementation of these practices provides vast opportunities for all.

Prenatal Diet

 In The Politics of Autism, I discuss various ideas about what causes the condition. 

Friel C, Leyland AH, Anderson JJ, Havdahl A, Brantsæter AL, Dundas R. Healthy Prenatal Dietary Pattern and Offspring Autism. JAMA Netw Open. 2024;7(7):e2422815. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.22815

Key Points

Question  What is the association between a healthy prenatal dietary pattern and offspring autism diagnosis and autism-associated traits in 2 large prospective cohort studies: the Norwegian Mother, Father, and Child Cohort (MoBa) and the Avon Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC)?

Findings  In this cohort study including 84 548 mother-infant dyads in MoBa and 11 670 mother-infant dyads in ALSPAC, maternal consumption of a healthy dietary pattern was associated with reduced likelihood of offspring autism diagnosis (MoBa) and reduced likelihood of social communication difficulties (MoBa and ALSPAC). No other consistent associations were observed.

Meaning  These findings highlight the association between prenatal diet and offspring autism-related outcomes and contribute to the evolving understanding of autism etiology.

Abstract

Importance  Prenatal diet may be causally related to autism; however, findings are inconsistent, with a limited body of research based on small sample sizes and retrospective study designs.

Objective  To investigate the associations of prenatal dietary patterns with autism diagnosis and autism-associated traits in 2 large prospective cohorts, the Norwegian Mother, Father, and Child Cohort Study (MoBa), and the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC).

Design, Setting, and Participants  This cohort study used data from MoBa and ALSPAC birth cohort studies conducted across Norway and in the Southwest of England, respectively. Participants were people with singleton pregnancies with self-reported food frequency questionnaire responses. MoBa recruited between 2002 and 2008, and ALSPAC recruited between 1990 and 1992, and children were followed-up until age 8 years or older. Recruitment rates were 41% (95 200 of 277 702 eligible pregnancies) in MoBa and 72% (14 541 of 20 248 eligible pregnancies) in ALSPAC. Data analysis occurred February 1, 2022, to August 1, 2023.

Exposure  A healthy prenatal dietary pattern was derived using factor analysis and modeled as low, medium, and high adherence.

Main Outcomes and Measures  In MoBa, the offspring outcomes were autism diagnosis and elevated social communication questionnaire score at ages 3 years and 8 years, with further analysis of the social communication difficulties and restrictive and repetitive behaviors subdomains. In ALSPAC, offspring outcomes were elevated social communication difficulties checklist score at age 8 years. Odds ratios (ORs) were estimated using generalized nonlinear models.

Results  MoBa included 84 548 pregnancies (mean [SD] age, 30.2 [4.6] years; 43 277 [51.2%] male offspring) and ALSPAC had 11 760 pregnancies (mean [SD] age, 27.9 [4.7] years; 6034 [51.3%] male offspring). In the final adjusted models, high adherence to a healthy dietary pattern, compared with low adherence, was associated with reduced odds of autism diagnosis (OR, 0.78; 95% CI, 0.66-0.92) and social communication difficulties at age 3 years in MoBa (OR 0.76, 95% CI, 0.70-0.82) and age 8 years in ALSPAC (OR, 0.74; 95% CI, 0.55-0.98). There was no consistent evidence of association with the other outcomes.

Conclusions and Relevance  In this cohort study of mother-child dyads, adherence to a healthy prenatal dietary pattern was associated with a lower odds of autism diagnosis and social communication difficulties but not restrictive and repetitive behaviors.

This is a very long. growing, and probably incomplete list of other correlates, risk factors, and possible causes that have been the subject of serious studies: 

1. Inflammatory bowel disease;
2. Pesticides;
3. Air pollution and proximity to freeways;
4. Maternal thyroid issues;
5. Autoimmune disorders;
6. Induced labor;
7. Preterm birth;
8. Fever;  
9. Birth by cesarean section;
10. Anesthesia during cesarean sections;
11. Maternal and paternal obesity;
12. Maternal diabetes;
13. Maternal and paternal age;
14. Grandparental age;
15. Maternal post-traumatic stress disorder;
16. Maternal anorexia;
17. Smoking during pregnancy;
18. Cannabis use during pregnancy;
19. Antidepressant use during pregnancy;
20. Polycystic ovary syndrome;
21. Infant opioid withdrawal;
22. Zinc deficiency;
23. Sulfate deficiency;
24. Processed foods;
25. Maternal occupational exposure to solvents;
26. Congenital heart disease;
27. Insufficient placental allopregnanolone.
28. Estrogen in the womb;
29. Morning sickness;
30. Paternal family history;
31. Parental preterm birth;
32. Antiseizure meds
33. Location of forebears
34. Lithium
35. Aspartame
36. BPA
37. Brain inflammation
38. Maternal asthma
39. Infertility
40. Ultraprocessed foods
41. Household chemicals
42. Parental psychiatric disorders
43. Fluoride

 

Republican Platforms on Disabilities

In The Politics of Autism, I discuss the issue's role in presidential campaigns.  

The 2024 Republican platform does not mention the word disabilities.

The 2016 Republican platform plank on disabilities:

Under the last two Republican presidents, landmark civil rights legislation affirmed the inherent rights of persons with disabilities. Republicans want to support those rights by guaranteeing access to education and the tools necessary to compete in the mainstream of society. This is not just a moral obligation to our fellow Americans with disabilities. It is our duty to our country’s future to tap this vast pool of talented individuals who want to work and contribute to the common good. For that reason, Republican leadership led to enactment of the ABLE Act (Achieving a Better Life Experience) and the Steve Gleason Act. The former, for the first time, lets people with disabilities maintain access to services while saving to develop assets. The latter, bearing the name of the former NFL player with ALS, provides access to speech-generating devices. In addition, our Workforce Innovation aPnd Opportunity Act will make it easier for students with disabilities to pursue competitive employment. 

Persons with disabilities are nearly twice as likely to be self-employed as the general population. To encourage their entrepreneurship, it makes sense to include them in the Small Business Administration’s 8(a) certification program, which opens up federal contracting for emerging businesses. Any restructuring of the tax code should consider ways in which companies can benefit from the talent and energy of their disabled employees. 

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) has opened up unprecedented opportunities for many students. Congressional Republicans will lead in its reauthorization, as well as renewal of the Higher Education Act, which can offer students with disabilities increased access to the general curriculum. Our TIME Act (Transition to Integrated and Meaningful Employment) will modernize the Fair Labor Standards Act to encourage competitive employment for persons with disabilities. We affirm our support for its goal of minimizing the separation of children with disabilities from their peers. We endorse efforts like Employment First that replace dependency with jobs in the mainstream of wthe American workforce. 

e oppose the non-consensual withholding of care or treatment from people with disabilities, including newborns, the elderly, and infirm, just as we oppose euthanasia and assisted suicide, which endanger especially those on the margins of society. We urge the Drug Enforcement Administration to restore its ban on the use of controlled substances for physician-assisted suicide

Slapper Faces Charges

In The Politics of Autism, I write about the everyday struggles facing autistic people and their families, including violence against autistic children.

Vivian Chow at KTLA-TV:

The man who was caught on video slapping an autistic boy in Pacoima now faces [misdemeanor] criminal charges.

Scott Sakajian, a Sun Valley resident, was charged with willful cruelty to a child and battery on a person, according to the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office.

Sakajian is accused of slapping Alfredo Morales, 10, after the boy touched the emblem on his Mercedes-Benz sedan on July 1.

Alfredo and his older sister, Claudia Morales, were crossing the street when the incident happened.

Sakajian made an immediate U-turn and followed the siblings to a bus stop. He stepped out, walked over to Alfredo who was sitting on a bench and slapped him.

His sister tried intervening and explained that Alfredo had autism, but the man still struck the boy.

Cell phone video of the confrontation went viral on social media, leaving community members outraged. The family also filed a police report.

Since the incident, Alfredo’s family, who is homeless and lives out of a broken truck, have been surrounded by an outpouring of support, with many saying they resonated with the story.

TRUMP IS STILL AN ANTIVAXXER

In The Politics of Autism, I analyze the discredited notion that vaccines cause autism. This bogus idea can hurt people by allowing diseases to spread.    Examples include measles, COVID, flu, and polio.

A number of posts discussed Trump's support for the discredited notion.

 

Whoops. Seems like RFK Jr.'s son posted and has since deleted video of a call between RFK Jr. and Trump after the shooting. In the video Trump repeats his old (false) claims about childhood vaccines, suggesting the vaccine schedule causes injuries in babies. https://t.co/K4RWXfoudS pic.twitter.com/KZcSBVtxWE

— Brandy Zadrozny (@BrandyZadrozny) July 16, 2024