Casey Means, Trump’s surgeon general nominee and RFK ally, grilled on vaccines in Senate confirmation hearing

Means was pressed by a Democratic and Republican senator on the committee about her past criticism of the use of the hepatitis B vaccine for newborns. Means has criticized the widespread use of the vaccine for babies, both on social media and on a podcast with Tucker Carlson, saying hepatitis B is contracted through sexual illnesses and drug use.

But Sen. Lisa Murkowski, Republican of Alaska, said the disease is far more transmissible than sexual contact and is also spread through ordinary community contact.

“In western Alaska, where we consider hepatitis B to be endemic, we see it spread through mosquito bites where a child itch their arm, through regular households, through community contact,” Murkowski said. “Whether it’s sharing food, toothbrushes, minor injuries. And that’s where a lot of people in my state look at this and say, ‘We’ve turned a corner on this.’ We’re not seeing children with liver cancer, this liver disease anymore. And that’s because the hepatitis B vaccine was made available to them from birth. I hope that as you communicate the value of vaccines children, positive results from vaccines like this will be communicated and not just “Everyone should consult their doctor”.

Democratic Sen. Angela Alsobrooks of Maryland pointed to an earlier tweet in which she said Means suggested that vaccinating newborns with the hepatitis B vaccine was a crime. Means said she “supports vaccines” and the tweet was taken “out of context.”

Means said this administration is continually studying the vaccination schedule.

“I think there’s a nuanced conversation that American families are looking to have about shared clinical decision-making with their doctors about specific vaccines for which their children may not be at as serious a risk,” she said.

Cassidy asked Means, “Do you agree with the need for universal hepatitis B vaccination?

“I think right now, any parent in America can go to their pediatrician and have access to the hepatitis B vaccine for their child if they want it,” she said. Cassidy asked her several times if she considered universal hepatitis B vaccination a goal. Ultimately, Means said vaccination at some point in childhood would be a good goal.