HEALTH & MEDICAL: 1) Health Canada Responds Swiftly to Trump’s Tylenol Warnings; 2)call for proposals to connect 500,000 more people to a primary care clinician

1) Health Canada Responds Swiftly to Trump’s Tylenol Warnings

Courtesy of BarrieDaily / By BD Managing Editor

When a president speaks, the world listens—even when the science says otherwise. This week, a surge of anxiety rippled across Canada after U.S. President Donald Trump publicly asserted that Tylenol use during pregnancy increases the risk of autism in children.

Trump’s comments, made during a formal appearance at the White House, called for physicians to warn expectant mothers against acetaminophen, Tylenol’s active ingredient. He warned of a “very increased risk” of autism, despite presenting no new supporting evidence. The statement drew immediate attention on both sides of the border, compelling Health Canada to respond.

Health Canada, the nation’s leading health authority, took a clear stand by reaffirming that acetaminophen remains a recommended option for pain and fever relief during pregnancy when used as directed. The department cited decades of Canadian experience and a robust, ongoing review of the scientific literature. According to Health Canada, “there is no conclusive evidence that using acetaminophen as directed during pregnancy causes autism or other neurodevelopmental disorders.”

The stakes are high for expectant parents who rely on clear, evidence-driven guidance. Untreated pain and fever during pregnancy are not without risk, and Health Canada stressed the importance of following medical advice: use acetaminophen at the lowest effective dose for the shortest possible duration. Tylenol’s manufacturer, Kenvue, and Canadian experts echoed the department’s view, underlining the lack of proof connecting acetaminophen to autism.

The Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada further addressed the controversy, noting that studies suggesting a link have been “consistently refuted by scientific and regulatory bodies.” Meanwhile, Health Canada continues to monitor all available data, promising to update guidance and labels if credible evidence of risk emerges.

For now, Health Canada’s approach underscores the value of rigorous science over rhetoric, urging Canadians to trust established medical consensus and to seek facts from authoritative sources.

References: Health Canada pushes back against Trump’s claims about Tylenol in pregnancy

2) Call for proposals to connect 500,000 more people to a primary care clinician

Courtesy Andrea Khanjin, September 26, 2025

Dear Barrie-Innisfil Friends and Neighbours,

The Ontario government launched the next call for proposals to create and expand approximately 75 primary care teams that will connect 500,000 more people to a primary care clinician. This over $250 million investment is part of the government’s $2.1 billion Primary Care Action Plan and brings the province one step closer to connecting everyone in Ontario to convenient primary care by 2029.

Ontario continues to lead the country with unprecedented investments and rapid action to strengthen the health-care system through its plan to add over 300 new primary care teams across the province, connecting two million more people to publicly funded primary care by 2029. In June, the government announced a $235 million investment, which funded over 130 new and expanded primary care teams to connect more than 300,000 to primary care, some of which have already begun accepting new patients.

Communities across Ontario are eligible to apply for funding for this next call for proposals. All Ontario Health Teams have been provided guidance on the appropriate number of proposals to submit based on the number of people not connected to primary care in their communities.

The new and expanded teams will prioritize attaching individuals in their communities to care, including those on the Health Care Connect waitlist. The Health Care Connect waitlist (as of January 1, 2025) has already decreased by more than 98,000 people or over 42 per cent. The government expects to announce the successful teams in spring 2026 and there will be additional opportunities to apply through subsequent rounds of funding.

Through Your Health: A Plan for Connected and Convenient Care, the Ontario government continues to take bold and decisive action to grow the province’s highly skilled health-care workforce and ensure people and their families have access to high-quality care, closer to home, for generations to come.

Quick Facts

Interprofessional primary care teams connect people to a range of health professionals that work together under one roof, including family physicians, nurse practitioners, registered nurses, registered practical nurses, physician assistants, physiotherapists, social workers, dieticians, and pharmacists, helping patients to receive more connected and convenient care.

Ontario’s Primary Care Action Team is drawing on best-in-class models of care to implement its action plan, supported by the government’s investment of more than $2.1 billion to connect approximately two million more people to primary care by 2029, which will achieve the government’s goal of connecting everyone in the province to primary care.

In 2024, Ontario invested $110 million in primary care teams across the province, helping to connect almost 370,000 more people to primary care close to home.

Ontario recently passed the Primary Care Act, which establishes primary care as the foundation of Ontario’s health-care system and sets out six clear objectives for Ontario’s publicly funded primary care system to ensure people know what they can expect when connecting to primary care.

Since 2018, Ontario has added nearly 20,000 additional physicians to its health-care workforce, including an over 14 per cent increase in family doctors.

Ontario is taking significant steps to strengthen its health-care workforce by making it easier for U.S.-licensed nurses and board-certified physicians to move to and practice in Ontario. So far this year, nearly 1,400 nurses and more than 260 doctors have already chosen Ontario.

Andrea Khanjin,

Your MPP for Barrie-Innisfil