Touting Dr. Vivek Murthy "making history" as the "first surgeon general of Indian descent" and "one of the youngest in history," CBS This Morning co-host Charlie Rose welcomed the nation's new top doctor to the show Wednesday morning for "his first television interview."
While Rose noted that the surgeon general position "had been vacant for more than a year," he never explained that the reason for the delayed Senate confirmation was Murthy's own partisan background and controversial anti-gun views. Senate Republicans objected to Murthy's role in founding Doctors for Obama to support the President's 2008 campaign and his open advocacy for gun control, asserting in 2012 that "Guns are a health care issue."
Even some Democrats were put off by Murthy's anti-gun views, waiting until after the 2014 midterms to slip through his confirmation in the lame-duck session of Congress.
Much of the This Morning interview was devoted to the measles outbreak, with Rose at one point urging Murthy to attack Republicans: "When politicians say things like – this is from Senator Rand Paul – 'I've heard of many tragic cases of walking, taking – talking normal children who wound up with profound mental disorders after vaccines,' does that help the conversation?"
Beyond the measles topic, fellow co-host Norah O'Donnell did find time to push Murthy from the left on legalizing marijuana: "Mr. Surgeon General, while we have you here, I wanted to get you on the record about whether you support the legalization of marijuana and what concerns do you have?"
After Murthy tried to dodge the question by simply describing recent legalization efforts, O'Donnell interrupted: "We know all that. We want to know your position, Mr. Surgeon General, with all due respect."
In part, Murthy replied: "We have some preliminary data showing that for certain medical conditions and symptoms that marijuana can be helpful, so I think that we have to use that data to drive policy-making and I'm very interested to see where that data takes us."
Wrapping up the exchange, co-host Gayle King reiterated: "Dr. Vivek Murthy, we thank you doing your first live interview with us here on CBS."
If only CBS had used that exclusive opportunity to actually challenge Murthy on his left-wing politics.
Here is a full transcript of the February 4 interview:
8:02 AM ET
CHARLIE ROSE: Dr. Vivek Murthy is making history. He is the first surgeon general of Indian descent, he's also one of the youngest in history. That position had been vacant for more than a year.
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: The Doctor Is In; New Surgeon General On Fight Over Measles Vaccine]
The surgeon general is the nation's chief spokesman on public health issues, that includes the measles outbreak. There are at least 131 cases spanning fourteen states. The debate over vaccinations is intensifying among both parents and politicians. Dr. Murthy joins us now from Washington in his first television interview. Good morning.
VIVEK MURTHY: Good morning, Charlie. It's good to be with you and Norah and Gayle.
ROSE: Well, it's a pleasure to have you. Tell me how concerned you are about the spread of measles.
MURTHY: Well, I'm very concerned, Charlie, about the spread of measles and about this particular outbreak that we're having. As you know, we eliminated measles in the year 2000 in the United States and that was a very important time. But we've seen a resurgence of measles in the United States. And you know, the good news about this is that we know how to eliminate measles, and at the heart of that strategy is getting vaccinated.
NORAH O'DONNELL: Mr. Surgeon General, you don't see an outbreak of measles in states where they have mandatory vaccinations. You see some of the largest outbreaks in states where they have personal health exemptions or religious exemptions. Do we need to rethink those?
MURTHY: Well, this has been a concern for many, including myself, that we've seen increasing rates of exemptions among clusters in our country. And the key point I want to make here is that while the overall vaccination rate in the United States is still high, what matters is that we have pockets throughout the country where those vaccination rates are low. And when you're in a pocket with low vaccination rates, that's when you find yourself at greater risk of getting measles.
GAYLE KING: So why do you think there is so much confusion over the vaccines in the first place and what can we do to alleviate a lot of the public fears?
MURTHY: Well, there has been a lot of confusion, as you mentioned, but the key point I want to make about the vaccine is that it is safe and effective. And there have been rumors started by a study that came out of England a few years ago that made the claim that there was a link between autism and the measles vaccines, or more specifically the MMR vaccine.
ROSE: One – go ahead, sorry.
MURTHY: We now know that, that research study was debunked multiple times by multiple sources, it was found to be a fraudulent study. And many medical experts, including the Institute of Medicine, have weighed in saying that the measles vaccine is safe, that it does not have any evidence that it's linked to autism. And so-
ROSE: I'm sorry.
MURTHY: No, go ahead.
ROSE: No, you go ahead, I want you to finish. I just thought – I thought you finished.
MURTHY: Well, the key point that we want to make here is that the vaccine is safe and effective and, in fact, quite effective. If you get both doses of the vaccine as is recommended, then you have a protection rate of ninety-seven percent, which is pretty good. And to contrast that with the fact that if you don't get vaccinated and you're exposed to measles, then you have a ninety percent chance of catching the illness.
ROSE: When politicians say things like – this is from Senator Rand Paul – "I've heard of many tragic cases of walking, taking – talking normal children who wound up with profound mental disorders after vaccines," does that help the conversation?
MURTHY: I think what we need to focus on in this conversation is the science, because the science ultimately more than personal anecdotes and more than anything else is what should drive our decisions as individuals and as families. And look, I understand that there are parents who are concerned about vaccines, and I know that, that concern comes from ultimately just wanting to do what's best for your kid and wanting to protect your child. But what science tells us very clearly is that the best way to protect your child and to protect other children or other members of the community is to get vaccinated. It is safe and it is effective.
O'DONNELL: Mr. Surgeon General, while we have you here, I wanted to get you on the record about whether you support the legalization of marijuana and what concerns do you have?
MURTHY: Well, marijuana is an interesting story that's unfolding in our country right now. And we have had a long history of discussion around the benefits and risks of marijuana. We have experiments that are going on in many states right now where medical marijuana has been legalized and in at least a few states where it has been legalized even for recreational use-
O'DONNELL: We know all that. We want to know your position, Mr. Surgeon General, with all due respect.
MURTHY: Yes, well, my position is that we have to see what science tells us about the efficacy of marijuana and I think we're going to get a lot more data on that. We have some preliminary data showing that for certain medical conditions and symptoms that marijuana can be helpful, so I think that we have to use that data to drive policy-making and I'm very interested to see where that data takes us.
GAYLE KING: Dr. Vivek Murthy, we thank you doing your first live interview with us here on CBS. Good to see you, sir.
MURTHY: Thank you so much.
KING: Thank you.
MURTHY: Great to be with you.
ROSE: Thank you.
