President Donald Trump’s third nominee for surgeon general, Dr. Nicole Saphier, expressed support for childhood vaccines during a tense Senate confirmation hearing on Wednesday.
Her testimony comes as the administration attempts to overhaul national vaccine recommendations.
Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy pressed Saphier, a radiologist and former Fox News Channel contributor, on whether she believes childhood vaccines cause autism.
Broad scientific consensus has established no connection exists between the two, though the Trump administration has repeatedly sought to re-examine the topic.
"I do not believe childhood vaccines cause autism," Saphier testified.
When asked by Cassidy whether parents ought to vaccinate their children against measles, mumps, and rubella, she stated that "the MMR vaccine is our greatest tool for combating measles." Her statement comes after the president recently advocated for spacing out those doses.
Describing vaccines as vital for preventing infection, Saphier praised the administration for engaging with "the vaccine hesitant people."
Cassidy rejected that assertion, arguing the effort generates further confusion, and urged Saphier to speak with greater clarity after she repeatedly framed established scientific facts as personal beliefs.
Though the position of surgeon general carries limited direct policymaking authority, it functions as the nation’s primary platform for communicating public health guidance to Americans.
Both Trump and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. have suggested that childhood immunizations, such as MMR, may contribute to autism. Decades of scientific studies and real-world evidence have conclusively proven no such link exists.
A link between vaccines and the developmental disability is something Trump has considered before. In 2014, he tweeted: “Healthy young child goes to doctor, gets pumped with massive shot of many vaccines, doesn't feel good and changes - AUTISM. Many such cases!”
Autism spectrum disorder is caused by differences in the brain. While some people with autism have a known difference, such as a genetic condition, other causes are not yet identified, according to the CDC. An estimated 5.4 million adults in the U.S. have autism.
The administration has taken steps to upend national guidance, including scaling back the childhood immunization schedule, though a judge has since halted many of these measures.
Medical organizations and doctors warn these actions could further stoke vaccine hesitancy.
