Surgeon general nominee Casey Means questioned about vaccines and birth control : NPR
Dr. Casey Means, nominee for surgeon general, testifies during a confirmation hearing Wednesday before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.
BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images
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BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images
President Trump’s nominee for surgeon general, Dr. Casey Means, testified before a Senate committee on Wednesday in her bid to be confirmed as the nation’s top doctor.
The hearing was a long time coming for Means — a wellness influencer, entrepreneur and author — who had to delay the confirmation hearing in late October because she was pregnant and had gone into labor.
During his testimony, Means praised the leadership of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and echoed many of the talking points from his “Make America Healthy Again” agenda, while avoiding pointed questions about the administration’s controversial actions on vaccines and other issues.
In an exchange between Means and Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy, chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, she said she believes “vaccines save lives” but stopped short of encouraging mothers to vaccinate their children against measles and flu. She said it was a matter of conversation and informed consent between doctors and patients.
Later, when Senator Tim Kaine, a Virginia Democrat, asked her if she disagreed with Kennedy’s statements While there is a lack of evidence on the effectiveness of the flu vaccine, Means ultimately agreed that at a “population level” the vaccine does reduce the risk of injury or hospitalization.
She took a similar approach when asked about the debunked link between autism and vaccines, which was promoted by Kennedy and many of his allies.
“I accept that evidence. I also think the science has never stabilized,” Means said in response to a series of questions from Sen. Bernie Sanders, independent of Vermont. Means said she supports Kennedy’s current efforts to examine “all the environmental factors that could contribute to autism.” She added: “Vaccines are not part of my main message. »
In podcast and online appearances, Means has expressed concerns about the safety of children’s vaccination schedules and has questioned hormonal birth control. She also supported raw milk, as did Kennedy.
“I absolutely think oral contraception should be widely available,” she said in response to a question about birth control pills from Cassidy, a doctor, which asked in part whether they should be available without a prescription. “I think, especially when it comes to oral contraceptives, we need to get patients to talk with their doctors about the risks and benefits,” she said at the hearing.
Means has increased his public profile in recent years, primarily through a book on diet and health, titled Good energyand appearances on high-profile podcasts. She is often joined by her brother and co-author Calley Means, who served as an advisor to Health Secretary Kennedy.
Her nomination was met with considerable pushback from medical and public health establishments, in part because she lacks the clinical experience of previous surgeons general.
“She is less professionally qualified than any other general surgeon in history. There’s no doubt about that,” says Dr. Georges Benjamin, CEO of the American Public Health Association.
Means graduated from Stanford Medical School, but abandoned his surgical training to become a head and neck surgeon. She then opened a functional medicine practice in Oregon, although she stopped seeing patients a few years ago and currently has no active medical license.
During the hearing, she stated that she did not intend to reactivate her license, if confirmed.
She focused on nutrition, the country’s high rate of chronic disease, and the medical system’s failure to address the “root causes” of poor health. Similar to Kennedy, she points to the harms of ultra-processed foods, environmental toxins, poor lifestyle and the overuse of pharmaceuticals, among other culprits.
“All Americans share a fundamental desire to thrive and help their families thrive, but we ask people to make healthy choices in environments that are squarely structured for them,” she said in her opening statement to the committee.
“Our bodies are telling us that the current path is completely untenable. There is another path, a path that unites rigorous science with respect for our miraculous bodies and our planet,” she added.
Along with his book, Means runs a company, called Levels, which promotes the use of continuous glucose monitors and also sells various supplements and wellness products on his website.
Means has agreed to divest from her companies if she is confirmed as surgeon general. Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut asked her about a pending complaint that she violated FTC rules by failing to disclose financial dealings with products she promotes.
“It seems systemic,” Murphy said. “It seems that in the majority of cases where you, as a healthcare professional, were recommending a product, you were hiding the fact that you had a financial partnership.”
Means said the claims were false and she would follow up with her team.
Known as the nation’s top doctor, the surgeon general leads more than 6,000 members of the U.S. Public Health Service, which includes doctors, nurses and scientists working in various federal agencies.
The surgeon general serves in the Department of Health and Human Services and issues public notices and reports to convey health information to the public.
The committee hearing ended after more than two hours of testimony without a vote.
