59% of Americans disapprove of RFK Jr.'s moves as health secretary, a new poll says

"What people believe about health increasingly depends on how they feel about politics, according to a new poll. Consider President Trump's Sept. 22 warning about acetaminophen, the active ingredient in Tylenol. KFF, the nonpartisan health policy research organization, polled voters about Trump's statements the day after he made them. "What we see is that it's hugely divided among partisans," says Ashley Kirzinger, the associate director of polling for KFF."

"The poll found 59% percent of Democrats believed President Trump's statements about Tylenol were "definitely false." On the other hand, an almost equal percentage of Republicans 56% believed the claim to be either "definitely true" or "probably true." There is no scientific research showing a causal link between acetaminophen and autism. But Trump told pregnant women to "tough it out" and avoid taking the popular pain reliever in an unusual press conference last month."

"The poll, which also asked voters about other topics, offers a window into how dramatically public opinion has changed, along with federal health policies. The poll found the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has seen a precipitous decline in public trust most recently among Democrats, as the Trump administration works to dismantle many of its mandates. Kirzinger notes a 24% decline in trust in CDC's vaccine information among Democrats, just in the past two years."

KFF polled voters the day after President Trump's Sept. 22 warning about acetaminophen and found sharp partisan divides on the claim. Fifty-nine percent of Democrats judged the statements about Tylenol as "definitely false," while about 56% of Republicans judged them "definitely true" or "probably true." No scientific research shows a causal link between acetaminophen and autism, and physician groups advise that acetaminophen remains the safest option in pregnancy when untreated fever or pain can cause other problems. Trust in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has declined, including a 24% drop in confidence in CDC vaccine information among Democrats over two years. Doctors remain the most trusted source for personal health advice, but partisan identity increasingly determines which sources people trust.

Read at www.npr.org