Another U.S. surgeon general nominee is making waves with her vaccine comments.
Dr. Nicole Saphier, President Donald Trump's latest pick for the nation's top doctor role, had some intense moments during her confirmation hearing on Sept. 16 when faced with questions about the MMR vaccine, which protects against measles, mumps and rubella.
Things got particularly intense when committee chair Sen. Bill Cassidy, a Louisiana Republican, asked her a line of questions about whether the vaccine causes autism.
"Humbly, I don't know what causes autism, but I have not seen repeatable evidence that would suggest that vaccines cause autism," said Saphier, a breast radiologist who has served as a Fox News contributor since 2018.
"Can you tell (a) parent − I assume
you've reviewed the literature − that there is no credible evidence that vaccines cause autism?" Cassidy pressed.
"Certainly, I have not seen any evidence presented to me that is−" Saphier began before Cassidy interjected.
"There's a little bit of wiggle room there, and I'm so sensitive to this because I've had wiggle room from people sitting there ... who later used that wiggle room to do things which are quite contrary," he said. "Is the MMR vaccine extremely lethal, as the president said?"
Saphier said she cannot speak to what the president has said but added, "as a physician, I can tell you that I do not believe the MMR vaccine to be lethal. I believe the MMR vaccine is our greatest tool for combating measles."
"That's great," replied Cassidy, who is a physician himself. "And does it cause autism?"
"I do not believe childhood vaccines cause autism," she answered.
Commenters were quick to share their thoughts on the heated exchange in clips shared to social media.
"It’s frustrating because they both seem to be on the same page (in support of vaccines), but he’s frustrated with her for talking in circles instead of clearly stating, 'no, the MMR vaccine does NOT cause autism,'" one user commented.
“She's being really clear and he keeps asking her to be clear," another said.
As measles deaths rise, vaccine hesitancy is alive and well
The comments themselves also show why the back-and-forth has gained so much attention; there's major public debate on vaccines, despite medical experts having long said the MMR shot is safe and effective. Even Trump's own Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz has urged parents to vaccinate their kids amid the country's largest resurgence of measles in more than three decades, due largely to under-vaccination.
"Other people who have had children with autism believe differently," one user wrote about Saphier's comments.
"As a mother of a son who has autism I appreciate her honesty. I have constantly been under attack by people saying I did something to my son that he has autism. which I did nothing it's a genetic disorder," another wrote.
"Stand your ground lady. They don't cause autism," another said. "Lies," another simply wrote.
For decades, the MMR vaccine has been administered to millions of children, helping to prevent severe and life-threatening complications of measles, mumps and rubella. Serious side effects of the vaccine, including seizures, are rare.
While recent declines in vaccination coverage may sound like a "small shift," measles is "one of the most contagious diseases we know," Dr. Julia Rosebush, an associate professor and pediatric infectious diseases specialist at the University of Chicago, said during a press briefing on Aug. 21, organized by the Infectious Diseases Society of America.
So far, Pennsylvania has seen four measles-related deaths this year, some of which have sparked their own political debate, with Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. initially questioning whether the virus was the cause.
Leading medical organizations say the administration's statements about vaccines and efforts to reduce the number of government-recommended childhood immunizations have increased vaccine hesitancy, making outbreaks harder to curb.
"A single unvaccinated child in a school full of unvaccinated classmates can start an outbreak that spreads to dozens of families within days," Rosebush explained.
Cassidy warns against 'feeding into untruths'
Cassidy later asked Saphier whether a parent should vaccinate their child with the MMR.
"The best tool we have to combat these infections, to save the most lives, and to also create population herd immunity is vaccination against the MMR," she said before adding that she appreciates that the president is "trying to reach the vaccine hesitant people who are wanting more answers."
Cassidy rebutted the sentiment.
"I'm not sure that you reach people who are vaccine hesitant by feeding into untruths. The way to dispel confusion is not to sow more confusion. The way is to say no, it does not cause autism."
Saphier concluded by saying, "I believe vaccines save lives, and they are one of the strongest tools in our arsenal when it comes to public health."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: This intense exchange with Trump's surgeon general pick is going viral. Why?
