Trump surgeon general nominee defends MMR vaccine in Senate hearing

Dr. Nicole Saphier, President Donald Trump's third nominee for U.S. surgeon general, defended the MMR vaccine and rejected a link between childhood vaccines and autism during her Senate confirmation hearing on Wednesday. Saphier, a radiologist and former Fox News contributor, told the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions that she does not believe the MMR vaccine is lethal and has not seen reputable evidence that vaccines cause autism. Her testimony placed her at odds with some past statements from Trump and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. When asked about Trump's recent suggestion that the MMR vaccine could be "quite lethal," Saphier responded, "As a physician, I can tell you that I do not believe the MMR vaccine to be lethal." She called the vaccine "our greatest tool for combating measles," as the U.S. faces a significant outbreak with nearly 3,300 confirmed cases and four deaths this year. Saphier also expressed strong support for universal hepatitis B vaccination at birth, a longstanding CDC recommendation the Trump administration has sought to weaken.