Weldon, 71, is a medical doctor and former lawmaker who served in the House, representing Florida. The former congressman has been a strong critic of the CDC, especially its vaccine program. Weldon has championed the long-debunked notion that thimerosal, a vaccine preservative, is linked to autism.

President-elect Trump rounded out his health team for his upcoming White House term by announcing his Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Federal Drug Administration (FDA) and

While in Congress, Weldon introduced a bill that would give responsibility for the nation's vaccine safety to an independent agency within the HHS.