Casey Means’ Answers to Alsobrooks’ Questions are Disqualifying

March 12, 2026

WASHINGTON, DC - Senator Alsobrooks (D-Md.) submitted 31 questions for the record for Dr. Casey Means to respond to before her final vote to be nominated for Medical Director in the Regular Corps of the Public Health Service and Surgeon General of the Public Health Service.

Dr. Means' answers were disqualifying. She refused to answer if specific vaccines are safe, refused to answer for the high lead levels in products she promoted and sponsored, and avoided answering the question on whether Tylenol is connected to autism.

Senator Alsobrooks is urging Republicans and Democrats to work together to oppose this nomination for the safety of America's children.

See below or here for full list of questions and answers as submitted to the HELP Committee:

Senator Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.)

HELP Committee Hearing: Nomination of Casey Means to be Medical Director in the Regular Corps of the Public Health Service and Surgeon General of the Public Health Service

Questions for the Record

Vaccines and the Integrity of Public Health Guidance

1. For decades, independent scientific review has supported the safety and effectiveness of routine immunizations. Do you support the continued routine use of each of the vaccines for the populations for whom they are recommended, consistent with the longstanding scientific evidence base?

2. If you were to speak to parents that want to vaccinate their child with the MMR vaccine, would you tell them that the vaccine is safe and effective? If you have safety concerns with this vaccine, please explain using scientific evidence what they are using scientific evidence to support your position.

3. If you were to speak to parents that want to vaccinate their child with the polio vaccine, would you tell them that the vaccine is safe and effective? If you have safety concerns with this vaccine, please explain using scientific evidence what they are.

4. If you were to speak to parents that want to vaccinate their child with the IPV vaccine, would you tell them that the vaccine is safe and effective? If you have safety concerns with this vaccine, please explain using scientific evidence what they are.

5. If you were to speak to parents that want to vaccinate their child with the HPV vaccine, would you tell them that the vaccine is safe and effective? If you have safety concerns with this vaccine, please explain using scientific evidence what they are.

6. If you were to speak to parents that want to vaccinate their child with the annual influenza vaccine, would you tell them that the vaccine is safe and effective? If you have safety concerns with this vaccine, please explain using scientific evidence what they are.

7. If you were to speak to parents that want to vaccinate their child with the COVID-19 vaccine, would you tell them that the vaccine is safe and effective? If you have safety concerns with this vaccine, please explain using scientific evidence what they are.

8. If you were to speak to parents that want to vaccinate their child with the PCV vaccine, would you tell them that the vaccine is safe and effective? If you have safety concerns with this vaccine, please explain using scientific evidence what they are.

9. If you were to speak to parents that want to vaccinate their child with the varicella vaccine, would you tell them that the vaccine is safe and effective? If you have safety concerns with this vaccine, please explain using scientific evidence what they are.

10. If you were to speak to parents that want to vaccinate their child with the rotavirus vaccine, would you tell them that the vaccine is safe and effective? If you have safety concerns with this vaccine, please explain using scientific evidence what they are.

11. You have publicly questioned the hepatitis B birth dose for newborns whose mothers test negative for hepatitis B. Do you agree that universal hepatitis B vaccination at birth has played a critical role in preventing perinatal transmission and reducing chronic liver disease and liver cancer in the United States? Yes or no.

12. Do you believe that the Hepatitis B vaccine itself is not safe or effective?

Responses 1-12: If confirmed, I will support the current CDC and ACIP guidance. I will also recommend that patients have a thorough informed consent conversation with their doctors about vaccine intake or any other medication.

13. Do you believe there have been any challenges for parents accessing vaccines for their child after the ACIP pediatric vaccine changes over the past 6 months?

Response: My understanding is that vaccines remain available to any patient who wants one.

14. Do you agree that maintaining high coverage of the MMR vaccine is essential to preserving herd immunity and preventing measles-related child deaths?

Response: I agree with Drs. Oz and Bhattacharya, who have both recently explained that the MMR vaccine is the most reliable and effective way to prevent measles in individuals and communities. If confirmed, I will support the current CDC and ACIP guidance.

15. Do you agree that the inactivated polio vaccine remains essential to preventing the re-emergence of paralytic polio in the United States?

Response: If confirmed, I will support the current CDC and ACIP guidance.

16. You have suggested that the cumulative vaccine schedule may contribute to autism and have referenced individuals who promote that theory. Do you agree with the overwhelming scientific consensus, reflected in large-scale epidemiological studies across multiple countries, that vaccines do not cause autism?

17. If so, will you commit to publicly correcting misinformation linking vaccines to autism?

18. If confirmed, will you commit to opposing the dissemination of unverified claims about autism causation or treatments that could mislead families and divert resources from effective supports?

Responses 16-18: I have never seen a study suggesting a single vaccine causes autism. I support the effort to look at the comprehensive cumulative exposures of our exposome into what is causing autism.

19. In light of recent changes to federal vaccine recommendations, do you believe the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices should operate as an independent, evidence-driven body insulated from political influence?

Response: Yes.

20. If confirmed, what specific steps will you take to protect the scientific integrity of federal immunization guidance?

Response: Gold standard science and accurate data should drive the decision-making of public health agencies.

21. Do you believe that there is a connection between Tylenol use and autism?

Response: I am familiar with the Harvard study that analyzed 46 previous studies that investigated the potential link between prenatal acetaminophen use and subsequent neurodevelopmental disorders in children, and I am following this discussion closely.

22. Do you support maintaining the core structure of the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act of 1986 and the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program as mechanisms to compensate rare vaccine injuries while ensuring a stable and reliable vaccine supply? Please describe any reforms you would support and the evidence base for those proposals.

Response: That question is outside the scope of the office of the Surgeon General.

Financial Conflicts of Interest and Ethics Compliance

23. Your ethics agreement requires divestment from certain investments, including Philip Morris International and Altria, whose products contribute significantly to preventable disease. Have you and your family fully divested from all such holdings? If not, please provide the current status of those investments and a timeline for full compliance.

24. The Surgeon General has historically led national efforts to reduce tobacco use and prevent addiction-related disease. How do you reconcile prior financial investments in companies whose primary products are associated with addiction, cancer, and preventable mortality with the historic mission of the Office of the Surgeon General?

Responses 23-24: I and my family have divested tobacco holdings. These investments were a small part of my husband's diversified investment portfolio before our marriage.

25. The hearing raised questions about the undisclosed financial relationships tied to products you promoted through newsletters and interviews. If confirmed, will you commit to full transparency regarding any past or residual financial interests, and will you recuse yourself from matters that could reasonably affect companies from which you have received income?

Response: I have worked closely with the Office of Government Ethics to be cleared for this role, including disclosing all financial information and removing any potential conflicts of interest. If confirmed, I will work closely with the Office of the General Counsel at HHS to follow all ethics laws as it relates to conflicts of interest.

26. Do you admit that a number of the products that you have promoted in your newsletters have had significant safety concerns, including containing unsafe levels of heavy metals, like neurotoxins and reproductive toxins?

27. Do you stand by all of the products that you have showcased, spotlighted, or sponsored in your newsletters? Note that this is not a question regarding divesting from products but rather asking whether you regret any of your partnerships due to product safety concerns.

28. Do you apologize for platforming products that may have safety concerns?

Responses 26-28: I only promoted products that I believed are beneficial to health and I would need to review these claims and the legitimacy of the organization who has made them.

Evidence-Based Communication and Public Health Independence

29. Will you commit that any Surgeon General advisories or reports issued under your leadership will rely on peer-reviewed evidence, transparent methodology, and broad consultation with credentialed public health experts, including epidemiologists, pediatricians, and career public health professionals?

30. Past Surgeons General have reported experiencing political pressure regarding which health topics to emphasize or avoid. If confirmed, will you commit to issuing public health guidance based solely on scientific evidence and the best interests of the American people, even when that guidance conflicts with policy preferences of the Administration?

Responses 29-30: I will communicate information driven by gold standard science and accurate data.

31. If you conclude that federal policies are undermining vaccination rates, access to evidence-based care, or core public health infrastructure, will you commit to communicating those concerns transparently to Congress and the public?

Response: I will not hesitate to respectfully voice any disagreement I might have to those policymakers.

Response: I will not hesitate to respectfully voice any disagreement I might have to those policymakers.

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