1 00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:04,320 Speaker 1: Medical experts have criticized comments by Donald Trump suggesting that 2 00:00:04,360 --> 00:00:08,240 Speaker 1: autism could be linked to the use of paracetamol in pregnancy. 3 00:00:08,600 --> 00:00:11,800 Speaker 1: We know that Australian professionals are concerned that it could 4 00:00:11,840 --> 00:00:16,640 Speaker 1: deter expectant mums from using paracetamol for fever or pain, 5 00:00:16,720 --> 00:00:20,799 Speaker 1: which could then have other implications. Now joining us on 6 00:00:20,920 --> 00:00:25,360 Speaker 1: the line is the Northern Territories Chief Health Officer, doctor 7 00:00:25,400 --> 00:00:27,800 Speaker 1: Paul Burgers. Good morning to your doctor. 8 00:00:27,520 --> 00:00:29,680 Speaker 2: Burgers, Good morning, how are you? 9 00:00:29,880 --> 00:00:32,240 Speaker 1: Yeah? Really good? Thanks so much for your time this morning. 10 00:00:32,320 --> 00:00:35,720 Speaker 1: Now tell me, I mean, how concerning is this claim 11 00:00:35,760 --> 00:00:39,599 Speaker 1: and the confusion that it could create amongst expectant mums. 12 00:00:40,640 --> 00:00:44,640 Speaker 2: Look what it is concerning that misinformation is out there. 13 00:00:45,080 --> 00:00:48,319 Speaker 2: Paracetamol is one of our safest medicines and has been 14 00:00:48,440 --> 00:00:51,840 Speaker 2: used for decades very effectively to relieve fever and pain 15 00:00:51,920 --> 00:00:56,200 Speaker 2: for expected mums and very safely. All medicines in Australia 16 00:00:56,280 --> 00:01:00,440 Speaker 2: go through a very thorough assessment by our Therapeutic Goodstration, 17 00:01:00,760 --> 00:01:05,759 Speaker 2: and every medicine on our Pharmaceutical Benefit Scheme or every 18 00:01:05,840 --> 00:01:08,759 Speaker 2: medicine you see in the pharmacy has been tested for safety, 19 00:01:08,760 --> 00:01:12,800 Speaker 2: including during pregnancy and paracetamol is the safest. It has 20 00:01:12,800 --> 00:01:15,360 Speaker 2: a category A, which means it's very safe to use 21 00:01:15,440 --> 00:01:16,400 Speaker 2: during pregnancy. 22 00:01:16,720 --> 00:01:20,880 Speaker 1: So is there any evidence that autism is connected to 23 00:01:21,000 --> 00:01:22,920 Speaker 1: paracetamol in pregnancy. 24 00:01:24,000 --> 00:01:29,399 Speaker 2: No, there's no evidence. And what's happening here is certain 25 00:01:29,600 --> 00:01:33,640 Speaker 2: people who are confused about what evidence means are going 26 00:01:33,680 --> 00:01:37,400 Speaker 2: on in an association but not a causation. And to illustrate that, 27 00:01:37,840 --> 00:01:41,160 Speaker 2: let me just have a quick example for you. Every summer, 28 00:01:41,280 --> 00:01:44,680 Speaker 2: the temperature goes up around Australia and we eat a 29 00:01:44,720 --> 00:01:48,680 Speaker 2: lot more things like ice cream and cold desserts, and 30 00:01:48,920 --> 00:01:51,960 Speaker 2: every summer we have bushfires, and so that's clearly an association, 31 00:01:52,120 --> 00:01:54,559 Speaker 2: but there's no causation between us having an ice cream 32 00:01:54,600 --> 00:01:58,240 Speaker 2: to eat and a bushfire starting. Similarly, in this case, 33 00:01:59,160 --> 00:02:03,200 Speaker 2: there's other things. There's no link between a causation link 34 00:02:03,240 --> 00:02:07,480 Speaker 2: between paracetamol use and autism. Autism has a heavy genetic 35 00:02:07,600 --> 00:02:11,280 Speaker 2: component that is an influence by the use of paracetamol 36 00:02:11,440 --> 00:02:12,280 Speaker 2: during pregnancy. 37 00:02:12,600 --> 00:02:15,960 Speaker 1: So, Paul, what are the you know, the like, what 38 00:02:16,000 --> 00:02:19,160 Speaker 1: are the implications if you don't take pain relief when 39 00:02:19,360 --> 00:02:22,359 Speaker 1: you know throughout pregnancy, if you if you do need 40 00:02:22,360 --> 00:02:25,119 Speaker 1: that paracetamol if you've got a high fever. What could 41 00:02:25,160 --> 00:02:27,959 Speaker 1: some of the implications be on that side of the fence. 42 00:02:28,800 --> 00:02:30,680 Speaker 2: Yeah, absolutely, it is a risk to have a very 43 00:02:30,720 --> 00:02:33,640 Speaker 2: high fever. We've just been through many of your listeners 44 00:02:33,639 --> 00:02:36,480 Speaker 2: will have been through this quite a significant flu season, 45 00:02:36,520 --> 00:02:38,680 Speaker 2: and of course we have COVID still hanging around, and 46 00:02:39,280 --> 00:02:41,640 Speaker 2: both of those illnesses can give you a high fever 47 00:02:41,720 --> 00:02:45,680 Speaker 2: for many days. And high fever in its own is 48 00:02:45,720 --> 00:02:48,880 Speaker 2: a risk to pregnancy in terms of potential for side effects, 49 00:02:48,919 --> 00:02:52,120 Speaker 2: they're uncommon, but there is potential for side effects from 50 00:02:52,160 --> 00:02:54,960 Speaker 2: having an untreated high fever during pregnancy, as well as 51 00:02:54,960 --> 00:02:57,560 Speaker 2: it being very uncomfortable. Yeah. 52 00:02:57,720 --> 00:03:00,800 Speaker 1: Now, in terms of then, I guess the advice for 53 00:03:00,919 --> 00:03:04,320 Speaker 1: pregnant women to anybody listening this morning who may want 54 00:03:04,400 --> 00:03:06,720 Speaker 1: that bit of reassurance, you know, they might be a 55 00:03:06,760 --> 00:03:09,400 Speaker 1: little bit confused about some of the media coverage that 56 00:03:09,400 --> 00:03:12,680 Speaker 1: they've seen and wondering, you know, what to do. What 57 00:03:12,800 --> 00:03:14,919 Speaker 1: is your advice to those pregnant women this morning. 58 00:03:15,480 --> 00:03:19,079 Speaker 2: Absolutely, the advice is paracetamol is very safe. It's safe 59 00:03:19,120 --> 00:03:21,680 Speaker 2: to use as directed. The instructions on the box are 60 00:03:21,760 --> 00:03:25,320 Speaker 2: very clear. You can take paracetamol four times a day 61 00:03:25,440 --> 00:03:28,679 Speaker 2: a maximum of eight tablets if you're an adult, it's 62 00:03:28,720 --> 00:03:33,080 Speaker 2: incredibly safe and we want pregnant mums to be safe 63 00:03:33,120 --> 00:03:36,520 Speaker 2: and comfortable and if they are unlucky to have a 64 00:03:36,560 --> 00:03:40,880 Speaker 2: fever or an illness, that paracetamol is absolutely safe to use. 65 00:03:41,240 --> 00:03:43,760 Speaker 1: Well. I know there'd also been some concerns around the 66 00:03:43,880 --> 00:03:48,680 Speaker 1: territory with a measles outbreak into state amid this drop 67 00:03:48,680 --> 00:03:51,760 Speaker 1: in the vaccination rate. Are we seeing any cases here 68 00:03:51,760 --> 00:03:55,440 Speaker 1: in the Northern Territory as those measles numbers are on 69 00:03:55,480 --> 00:03:57,840 Speaker 1: the increase, I believe Interstate. 70 00:03:58,600 --> 00:04:03,280 Speaker 2: Yeah, you're right again, this is public health professionals such 71 00:04:03,320 --> 00:04:07,480 Speaker 2: myself are very concerned about falling vaccination rates. Again, we 72 00:04:07,560 --> 00:04:09,960 Speaker 2: think this is part of the noise that emerged during COVID. 73 00:04:10,160 --> 00:04:13,320 Speaker 2: Much of it is spurious and not evidence based information 74 00:04:13,480 --> 00:04:14,960 Speaker 2: and conspiracy theories. 75 00:04:15,680 --> 00:04:16,000 Speaker 1: People. 76 00:04:16,040 --> 00:04:19,120 Speaker 2: We're tired during COVID and we have seen around the 77 00:04:19,120 --> 00:04:22,440 Speaker 2: world in fact, vaccination rates fall below where we need 78 00:04:22,440 --> 00:04:26,240 Speaker 2: them to control measles outbreak. To control measles, we need 79 00:04:26,240 --> 00:04:30,360 Speaker 2: a population coverage of ninety five percent of the population vaccinated, 80 00:04:30,400 --> 00:04:34,120 Speaker 2: and we're seeing in the low nineties now across many 81 00:04:34,160 --> 00:04:37,200 Speaker 2: parts of Australia. In the Northern Territory, we haven't had 82 00:04:37,200 --> 00:04:42,760 Speaker 2: an outbreak. We've had people transiting through who have had measles. However, 83 00:04:42,760 --> 00:04:45,440 Speaker 2: we've been very lucky in terms of the people there 84 00:04:45,480 --> 00:04:48,760 Speaker 2: have come into contact. We probably are immunized. So we 85 00:04:48,839 --> 00:04:51,920 Speaker 2: haven't seen a secondary outbreak in the Northern Territory. It 86 00:04:51,960 --> 00:04:54,320 Speaker 2: has happened in the past and does happen from time 87 00:04:54,360 --> 00:04:54,839 Speaker 2: to time. 88 00:04:55,120 --> 00:04:57,880 Speaker 1: What are some of those signs I guess for measles? 89 00:04:57,880 --> 00:05:00,240 Speaker 1: What do people need to be aware of? And I'm 90 00:05:00,240 --> 00:05:03,000 Speaker 1: assuming that you know you can go in and if 91 00:05:03,000 --> 00:05:06,240 Speaker 1: you're not already, you know, if you haven't already had 92 00:05:06,279 --> 00:05:09,960 Speaker 1: your immunization immunization for measles, that you're able to go 93 00:05:10,000 --> 00:05:10,640 Speaker 1: in and do so. 94 00:05:11,560 --> 00:05:14,840 Speaker 2: Absolutely so to be protected from measles, you need to 95 00:05:15,120 --> 00:05:21,039 Speaker 2: measles containing vaccines. If you've participated in the National Immunization 96 00:05:21,200 --> 00:05:24,120 Speaker 2: Program as a child or a student, you would have 97 00:05:24,120 --> 00:05:27,760 Speaker 2: had your two measles vaccines before you enter into school, 98 00:05:28,480 --> 00:05:32,840 Speaker 2: so that cohort will be well and truly protected. There 99 00:05:32,920 --> 00:05:35,400 Speaker 2: is a cohort that I fit into. So people who 100 00:05:35,480 --> 00:05:41,279 Speaker 2: were born between about nineteen sixty eight and about nineteen eighty, 101 00:05:41,320 --> 00:05:45,680 Speaker 2: who may have only had one measles immunization during their childhood, 102 00:05:45,720 --> 00:05:47,960 Speaker 2: so you really need the two, or to have had 103 00:05:47,960 --> 00:05:50,960 Speaker 2: a history of having a measles infection, then you'll know 104 00:05:51,040 --> 00:05:55,000 Speaker 2: you'll be no, you'll be protected if you have only 105 00:05:55,000 --> 00:05:57,760 Speaker 2: had one measles vaccine. It's available free as a booster 106 00:05:58,400 --> 00:06:03,360 Speaker 2: from your GP through the National Organization Program, and it's 107 00:06:03,400 --> 00:06:06,240 Speaker 2: a very safe and very effective vaccine. 108 00:06:07,080 --> 00:06:10,080 Speaker 1: Well, doctor Paul Burgess, it's been good to speak with 109 00:06:10,160 --> 00:06:12,479 Speaker 1: you this morning. Thank you very much for your time. 110 00:06:13,000 --> 00:06:13,920 Speaker 2: It's been my pleasure. 111 00:06:14,160 --> 00:06:15,320 Speaker 1: Thank you, Thanks so much.