FDA Chief Nominee Says Vaccines and Abortion Pill Are Safe and Effective, Avoids Answering on Trump’s Claims

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) chief nominee tapped by President Donald Trump acknowledged the safety and effectiveness of vaccines and the abortion medication mifepristone, while avoiding questions about the president’s inaccurate medical statements.

According to Fierce Biotech on the 25th (local time), the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) held a confirmation hearing that day for Heidi Overton, Trump’s nominee to lead the FDA. Overton is a former White House policy adviser and holds an M.D. and a Ph.D.

At the hearing, Overton repeatedly acknowledged that FDA-approved vaccines and the so-called “abortion pill” mifepristone are safe and effective. However, she stopped short of acknowledging that Trump was wrong when he made medical claims that conflict with scientific evidence.

HELP Committee Chair Bill Cassidy said Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had reversed his promise to maintain access to vaccines and asked, “What would you do if the president asked you to do something contrary to the assurances he gave today?” Overton replied, “I have had faithful conversations with the president,” adding, “I will provide my best advice and follow the legal requirements of the FDA commissioner in making individual product decisions about safety and effectiveness.”

Cassidy and several other senators questioned Overton’s involvement in an executive order in which Trump recommended separating the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) combination vaccine into individual shots. No individual vaccines are currently available in the U.S. Overton acknowledged that “the MMR vaccine is safe and effective,” but did not say Trump was wrong when he called the vaccine “deadly” as he signed the order on Aug. 10.

When Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.) asked, “Do you think the president can be wrong?” Overton replied, “The president asks questions and wants the best outcomes for Americans.” Regarding Trump’s claim that Tylenol causes autism, she said only, “I have not seen causal evidence that Tylenol causes autism.”

Overton faced criticism from both Democrats and Republicans over mifepristone. She said the FDA had determined that mifepristone is safe and effective, but did not answer whether she personally agreed. When Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) countered, “That is not the FDA’s position in court,” Overton said, “Once confirmed, the most urgent thing is to be briefed on the status of the ongoing safety review.”

Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) raised allegations of political interference involving flavored e-cigarettes. He said that after tobacco company Reynolds donated $8 million to Trump on April 30, the FDA approved four new flavored e-cigarettes from Glas, and former FDA Commissioner Marty Makary soon afterward stepped down. Overton denied a connection between the donation and the approvals, saying, “I reject the premise of the question.”