Surgeon-General Nominee Stands Firm on Contested Vaccine Policies

During a Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee hearing, nominee Nicole Saphier declined to repudiate the vaccine positions advanced by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and former President Donald Trump. Chairman Bill Cassidy pressed her to affirm that the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine does not cause autism and that the universal hepatitis B birth dose should remain in place. Saphier answered that she has not seen repeatable evidence linking vaccines to autism and expressed support for both vaccines without explicitly rejecting Kennedy’s or Trump’s statements.

Saphier Defends Vaccines but Won't Renounce RFK Jr. at Hearing Roll Call

In December, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s vaccine advisory panel voted to drop the universal recommendation for hepatitis B vaccination at birth after Kennedy questioned the shot’s validity. A federal judge temporarily blocked that recommendation in March, leaving the policy in limbo. The same panel has faced criticism for not updating CDC data on recent measles deaths in Pennsylvania, a dispute that pits the agency against Kennedy and state officials over cause attribution.

Saphier Defends Vaccines but Won't Renounce RFK Jr. at Hearing

Cassidy characterized Saphier’s “wiggle-room” answer as potentially allowing the nominee to act contrary to established science. Senators Susan Collins and Tim Kaine raised additional concerns about flavored vaping, while Lisa Murkowski noted Saphier’s prior social-media work could aid anti-smoking outreach. Saphier reiterated her anti-smoking stance and said she would recommend the hepatitis B vaccine, though she stopped short of demanding the recommendation be reinstated.

Roll Call

• Four measles deaths in Pennsylvania were cited by Cassidy as a metric of agency inaction.

Roll Call

• The CDC has not yet revised its website to reflect those deaths, fueling claims of “dancing around sensitivities.”

Roll Call

• The FDA authorized four new fruit- and menthol-flavored vape products in May, prompting resignations of former FDA Commissioner Marty Makary and HHS spokesperson Rich Danker.

Roll Call

• “Well, humbly, I don’t know what causes autism, but I have not seen repeatable evidence that will suggest it causes autism,” — Nicole Saphier, President Donald Trump's third nominee for surgeon general

Roll Call

• “I support universal hepatitis B vaccination,” — Nicole Saphier, President Donald Trump's third nominee for surgeon general

Roll Call

• “As a physician, I don’t want anyone smoking anything. The lungs are very sensitive and they don’t regenerate,” — Nicole Saphier, President Donald Trump's third nominee for surgeon general

Roll Call