AP FACT CHECK: Trump's iffy grasp of autism research
Trump in the past has promoted debunked theories linking vaccines to autism, and shortly before his inauguration was considering a commission on the matter.
Just last week, the American Academy of Pediatrics and dozens of other health organizations signed a letter to Trump saying claims that vaccines aren't safe "have been disproven by a robust body of medical literature," and offering to meet with him to explain that science.
About 1 in 68 school-aged children has autism or related disorders, a rate that has stayed about the same for two years, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported in March.
While Trump during one primary debate insisted he was "totally in favor of vaccines," he has subscribed in the past to theories unsupported by scientific evidence linking vaccines to autism.
A similar assertion in a 2015 presidential primary debate brought a rebuke from the American Academy of Pediatrics, which said it is "dangerous to public health" to suggest that vaccines are linked to autism.