Dr. Heidi Overton was present at an August 10 press conference where President Trump signed an executive order regarding the childhood vaccination schedule. This event comes alongside Trump’s announcement on Truth Social that he is nominating Dr. Overton to become the next FDA commissioner. She would replace Dr. Marty Makary, who stepped down in May after 13 months of leadership at the agency.
Dr. Overton, trained as a surgeon, currently serves as deputy assistant to the president for domestic policy at the White House. Dr. Joshua Sharfstein, a former principal deputy commissioner at the FDA during the Obama administration, commented on the challenges of moving from the White House to the FDA. He noted that understanding the FDA requires listening to career scientists who offer vital expertise, such as evaluating medication safety.
Sharfstein describes leading the FDA as one of the toughest roles in health governance. With around 18,000 personnel, the agency oversees food, drugs, medical devices, tobacco, cosmetics, supplements, and more. Successful commissioners, according to Sharfstein, need intelligence and resilience due to constant pressures from political, business, and advocacy groups.
Previously at the conservative America First Policy Institute, Dr. Overton authored papers opposing gender-affirming care for minors and questioning the safety of medication abortions. She also criticized the FDA’s decision to allow these medications to be prescribed via telehealth.
During the press conference, President Trump announced an executive order aimed at changing the childhood vaccine schedule by revisiting discredited theories linking vaccines to autism. Dr. Overton commented on this, calling it “a historic action.”
She supported Trump’s proposal to produce separate vaccines for measles, mumps, and rubella, which are currently administered together in a single MMR shot, or MMRV if including the chickenpox vaccine. “We still recommend the measles vaccine for all children, but we want parents informed about the timing and to have the option to separate them out,” she stated.
Public health experts, including Sharfstein, argue there is no scientific backing for separating the measles vaccine from mumps and rubella. They warn that such unbundling may increase costs and the risk of missed doses.
Dr. Overton’s nomination requires Senate confirmation. Senator Patty Murray, D-Wash., has stated she will vote against it. Senator Bill Cassidy, a Republican from Louisiana and a gastroenterologist, expressed concerns online but did not disclose his voting intentions. Attempts to arrange an interview with Dr. Overton via the White House had not been successful at the time of publication.
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