Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, who chairs the US Senate health committee, attributed recent measles deaths in Pennsylvania to misinformation and policies he characterized as vaccine-skeptical during a committee hearing on Wednesday. Cassidy, a physician, stated that three residents had died from measles with a fourth death under review, occurring amid what he described as the nation’s worst measles outbreak in more than three decades.
During the hearing on Trump administration health nominees, Cassidy directed questions to Nicole Saphier, the administration’s pick for surgeon general, requesting that she directly state vaccines do not cause autism. Saphier, a radiologist and Fox News contributor, responded by saying she does not believe the MMR vaccine is lethal and described it as “our greatest tool for combating measles.” She added that vaccination represents the best approach to combat infections and establish population immunity, while noting the administration is attempting to engage vaccine-hesitant individuals seeking additional information.
Cassidy expressed skepticism about this approach, stating that engaging vaccine-hesitant populations through messaging he characterized as feeding into untruths was counterproductive. The committee is also considering two other Trump health nominees: Chris Klomp for deputy secretary of health and human services and Timothy Westlake to lead the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
Cassidy’s remarks reflect ongoing tensions over vaccine messaging within the administration. Last month, he had criticized what he called “crazy, stupid” claims about MMR vaccine safety. Earlier, Cassidy voted to confirm Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as health secretary after Kennedy promised that CDC statements clarifying that vaccines do not cause autism would be preserved. Following Kennedy’s confirmation, however, the CDC’s autism and vaccines webpage was modified to include an asterisk qualification on the statement that vaccines do not cause autism.
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