During a February 25 Senate confirmation hearing, surgeon general nominee Casey Means was questioned about her past misleading and inaccurate comments about vaccines. The hearing sparked online debate about vaccines and informed consent.
Means has previously repeated several anti-vaccine claims, including that children receive “too many” vaccines, that childhood vaccines may be linked to autism, and that routine vaccines are not rigorously tested for safety. She has also called universal hepatitis B vaccination at birth “absolute insanity.”
When asked if the flu vaccination reduces the risk of severe illness and hospitalization (it does), Means did not answer directly and instead suggested that patients consult their physician. She also declined to recommend certain childhood vaccines, pivoting instead to a discussion of informed consent.
Online, health professionals, including a former surgeon general, argued that Means—a trained physician and wellness influencer who does not have an active medical license—is unqualified for the position because she cannot practice medicine.
The top posts across social media platforms were critical of Means and called on senators to vote against her confirmation. However, many widely shared posts expressed support, advocating for parental choice and claiming that vaccines are unnecessary or unsafe.
Recommendation
Misleading and unsupported claims about vaccines may influence parents’ decisions about vaccination, especially when they come from high-profile public figures. Caution is recommended when addressing such claims to avoid repeating or amplifying them.
Debunking messaging may emphasize that research consistently shows that flu vaccination significantly reduces the risk of severe illness, hospitalization, complications like pneumonia, and death. Even when the flu vaccine is not well-matched to the dominant strain, vaccination remains the best protection against the flu, especially for high-risk groups such as infants and individuals who are older, pregnant, or immunocompromised.
Health communicators can address common concerns about childhood vaccines by leading with established evidence and directing the public to vetted sources for vaccine information, such as the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Vaccine Education Center and the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Communicators may explain that:
- All vaccines undergo rigorous safety testing, including clinical trials, before approval. Receiving multiple vaccines at the same visit is safe, and there is no evidence of harmful interactions between recommended vaccines for children.
- Scientists have investigated a potential link between vaccines and autism for decades and have never found evidence to support a connection. Autism occurs at similar rates in unvaccinated and vaccinated children.
- Pediatricians recommend hepatitis B vaccination at birth because infants who contract the virus have a 90 percent chance of developing chronic hepatitis B and an increased risk of liver damage, liver cancer, and death. The hepatitis B vaccine is safe. Major medical groups continue to strongly recommend hepatitis vaccination at birth.
Fact-checking sources: Public Good News, CIDRAP, Johns Hopkins
Communication resources: Read messaging guidance on vaccines and autism
