FDA nominee Heidi Overton avoids taking positions at Senate hearing
Her answers leave her approach unclear as the agency reviews mifepristone’s safety.
At Thursday’s Senate health committee hearing, FDA nominee Heidi Overton faced questions about vaccines, flavored vapes, contraception and abortion but offered senators little clarity. The questioning lasted nearly two hours, and Overton avoided taking positions even on relatively easy prompts; she is a physician with a doctorate in clinical investigation and serves as deputy assistant to the president for domestic policy. Her opposition to abortion is relevant as the FDA examines mifepristone, for which the article says extensive safety data exists. In August, Overton stood beside Trump while he wrongly portrayed the MMR vaccine as highly dangerous and compared infant vaccine doses to a soda bottle. Trump also urged splitting MMR into three immunizations, though the article says there is no evidence that would help and no separate versions are available in the US.
Why it matters
The review is taking place despite extensive data showing mifepristone is extremely safe. With little clarity from the nominee, senators and the public have no clear account of the position she would bring to that review.
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