Trump’s Disease Control Nominee Backs Vaccine Mandates In ‘Certain Circumstances’

President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Dr. Erica Schwartz told lawmakers Wednesday that she supports vaccine mandates for U.S. military members in certain cases.

Schwartz, who served as Trump’s deputy surgeon general from January 2019 to April 2021, said during a U.S. Senate committee confirmation hearing that she would back mandating vaccines in the military under “certain circumstances,” also emphasizing her support for “religious exemptions” to such mandates. She has notably drawn criticism from some supporters of the “Make America Healthy Again movement who are skeptical about vaccines.

“I, as you know, I spent over 25 years in the uniformed services and I have had my share of making the mandates for influenza and other vaccines, or at least following, I didn’t make the mandate, but I followed leadership as they made the mandate for those vaccines, and I understood why,” Schwartz said. “When you’re in congregate living situations, when you’re in submarines, when you’re on ships, close quarters, it is really important to make sure that you’re, you have what we call for self-protection.”

“So I’m fully supportive of, in certain circumstances, mandating vaccines for military members, with the exception of, I believe in religious exemptions, and I believe that if there’s a newer vaccine, there should be some conversation as to whether that newer vaccine should be mandatory,” Schwartz continued.