Dr Heidi Overton, Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), has told senators that the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine is “safe and effective”. This statement was made at a confirmation hearing on Thursday, weeks after she stood with the president when he suggested the shot could be “quite lethal”.
Overton described the MMR vaccine as “our best tool right now in the public health response to the measles outbreak.” She also affirmed that “Every vaccine on the US market right now is safe and effective according to the FDA.”
The hearing takes place as the US records its highest number of measles cases since 1991. If confirmed, 37-year-old Overton, a surgeon by training, would become the youngest ever FDA commissioner.