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President Donald Trump's nominee to lead the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Heidi Overton, testified before the Senate on Thursday, giving cautious support to vaccines during the contentious confirmation hearing. Overton, who serves as a White House adviser, faced rigorous questioning about health policies implemented since Trump took office last year.

She was present in the Oval Office last month when Trump signed an executive order advocating for the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine to be administered in three separate doses, despite the vaccine's widespread use and safety.

Addressing comments made by Trump about vaccines, Overton stated that the FDA has licensed and approved the MMR vaccine as safe and effective. The United States is currently experiencing its worst measles outbreak in decades, with four deaths this year in Pennsylvania attributed to the vaccine-preventable disease, amid a wider decline in vaccination rates.

Republican Senator Bill Cassidy, whose vote is crucial for Overton's confirmation, asked her if there were any unsafe vaccines currently on the US market. Overton assured that every vaccine in the US market is safe and effective, which seemed to distance her views from Trump's and his Secretary of Health Robert F. Kennedy Jr, who has long propagated vaccine conspiracy theories.

Overton did not explicitly deny or confirm whether Trump had been wrong in his remarks about vaccines nor did she pledge to oppose any presidential orders that might conflict with public health. Instead, she expressed that she had robust discussions with the president and promised to provide him with her best advice. The nominee, at 37 years old, would become the youngest FDA administrator if confirmed by the Senate.

Since Trump's return to the White House, the FDA has faced significant turmoil, including substantial staff reductions, policy controversies, and the departure of several senior leaders.