People need to accept that there is no link between vaccines and autism, President Trump’s pick to lead the Food and Drug Administration said Wednesday.
Dr. Scott Gottlieb was asked by Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., during his confirmation hearing about President Trump’s flirting with creating a commission on vaccine safety. Vaccine skeptic Robert Kennedy Jr. said after the president was elected that Trump asked him to head the commission, but it was scuttled after a public outcry.
“There is no causal link between vaccination and autism,” said Gottlieb, a physician and agency veteran. “At some point we have to accept no for the answer.”
Gottlieb hinted he wouldn’t be shy about pushing back on any vaccine skeptics.
“I have a history of not being shy,” he said, referring to several articles and opinion pieces he has written over the years. “I will give people my direct advice and science-based judgment.”
