WASHINGTON – Surgeon general nominee Casey Means said at a confirmation hearing Wednesday she believes “vaccines save lives” but stopped short of saying she would encourage Americans to receive specific vaccines.
“I do believe that each patient, mother or parent needs to have a conversation with their pediatrician about any medication they’re putting in their body or their children’s bodies,” Means said.
As a leader of the “Make America Healthy Again” movement, Means, if confirmed, would join Human and Health Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s administration, which has sowed skepticism about vaccines and changed the recommended U.S. childhood vaccine schedule.
Means, if confirmed to be surgeon general, would be responsible for providing Americans with scientific information on improving their health and decreasing the risk of illness and injury. The role also includes overseeing over 6,000 officers in the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, according to the HHS website.
Means is a wellness influencer, author and entrepreneur. She graduated from the Stanford School of Medicine but did not complete her residency. Means has an inactive medical license in Oregon, according to the Washington Post.
In his introduction of Means, Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., said she did not complete her residency because she was “disillusioned” by what she saw as the focus on treating symptoms rather than addressing underlying causes of health issues.
“As a physician, I have always been inspired that the root of the word ‘healing’ means ‘to return to wholeness,’” Means said in her opening remarks. “Nothing is more urgent than restoring wholeness for Americans physically, mentally and societally.”
Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., the committee chair, probed Means on how she would communicate health advice to Americans.
Cassidy asked if she believes people should have an in-person visit with a doctor before receiving a mifepristone prescription.
Means repeatedly said she would encourage Americans to have thorough discussions with their doctor to understand risks and benefits that may come with birth control or other medications, but she did not commit to saying those discussions should be in-person. She also said she “absolutely” thinks oral contraception should be “widely accessible.”
Republicans have previously shown interest in requiring in-person consultations for mifepristone prescriptions and are generally against mail-order abortion drugs.
Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., agreed with Means on the dangers of processed food but pressed her to clarify her position on vaccines.
“I think the answers you gave us were a little bit political and not to the point,” Sanders said.
On autism, Means said she believes it’s important to continue to study causes of rising rates of the condition but said she is “not here to complicate the issue” of vaccines.
“We have a situation where autism is rising. This is a huge problem,” Means said to Sanders. “As a biomedical researcher and physician, I am not going to sit here and say that we should not study something in the future.”
President Donald Trump nominated Means for surgeon general in May 2025, stating in a Truth Social post at the time that she has “impeccable ‘MAHA’ credentials” and would work closely with RFK Jr.
Her confirmation hearing was originally scheduled for last October but was postponed after she delivered a baby, according to Reuters.
Means’s brother, Calley Means, is a senior adviser in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and sat in the audience during the hearing.
The committee is expected to vote on whether to send her nomination to the full Senate for a confirmation vote.