Surgeon General Nominee Gives Evasive Answers During Confirmation Hearing
Casey Means, Trump’s nominee for Surgeon General, finally had her confirmation hearings on Wednesday after they were delayed due to her pregnancy.
According to NPR, Means’ skepticism around vaccine efficacy was one of the Senate Health Committee’s key lines of questioning during her hearing. Means, along with Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, has been one of the more vocal vaccine skeptics. She has repeatedly questioned the vaccine schedule for children, and has amplified debunked claims that vaccines cause autism.
Chairman Bill Cassidy (R-La.) addressed this issue directly, pointing out that as the nation’s top doctor, Means would be responsible for fighting the vaccine skepticism rising across the country “at a time when so many, for whatever reason, sow distrust and confusion.”
While Means said she believes “vaccines save lives,” she stopped short of saying that she would recommend parents get their kids vaccinated against diseases like measles. Which, to me, should be a disqualifying stance considering that the growing anti-vaccine sentiment that she helped perpetuate has led to widespread measles outbreaks throughout the country.
The Washington Post adds that Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) pressed Means on whether she accepts the wide range of evidence that shows vaccines do not cause autism. “I do accept that evidence. I also think that science has never settled,” Means replied. Means added that she supports Kennedy’s current effort to examine “all environmental factors that could be contributing to autism.” She added, “Vaccines are not part of my core message.”
Should she be confirmed, Means would be one of the least qualified people to hold the title of surgeon general. Despite potentially serving as “America’s top doctor,” she is not a practicing physician and does not hold a license to treat patients. She built a cottage industry of telling people not to trust medical experts, going so far as to title one of her books Trust Yourself, Not Your Doctor.
If I did that, I would believe that every ache and pain I’ve had is cancer because of the two seconds of research I did on WebMD.
I’ll give Means some credit for her evasive answers during the hearing. In not giving a straight answer to easy questions, she basically signaled that she was going to take a more vibes-based approach to public health that’s not rooted in established science or traditional medicine. I think that’s marginally, marginally, better than Kennedy’s approach during his hearings. Kennedy said during his hearing that he supports vaccines and wouldn’t change the vaccine schedule should he be appointed HHS secretary. Yet shortly after being appointed to the role, he fired the entire panel of experts on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) vaccine advisory panel and replaced them with fellow anti-vaccine skeptics. He also altered the childhood vaccine schedule, which has led several states to file lawsuits.
During her hearing, Means said that she supported these changes implemented by Kennedy. “This administration is committed to making sure we have the safest vaccine schedule and that parents have the opportunity to have shared clinical decision-making on specific vaccines with their doctor, so they can make the best decisions for their family,” Means said.
Given that the Republicans control the Senate, Means is widely expected to receive confirmation. With trust in the CDC and HHS already falling under Kennedy’s tenure, there’s no better way to turn it around than by appointing the Whole Foods Dr. Sebi as surgeon general.
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