Vaccines and Public Health Leadership

On Feb. 25, 2026 Casey Means testified before the Senate HELP Committee, where senators pressed her on vaccines, birth control, financial conflicts and her qualifications amid questions about a dropped residency, no active medical license and her wellness‑influencer background. Means praised HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and aligned with his "Make America Healthy Again" agenda, said vaccines are "an important part of public health" and "save lives" but declined to fully commit to urging parents to vaccinate children against measles and flu (later acknowledging flu shots lower population‑level risk), said she accepts evidence debunking a vaccine‑autism link while adding "science is never settled," expressed qualified support for doctor‑mediated access to oral contraception, has no plans to reactivate her license if confirmed, and was sharply criticized by public‑health leaders as unusually unqualified for the post; President Trump has said he does not know her and is relying on Kennedy’s support.