Amid Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s push to improve healthcare as part of the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement, there is a growing focus on vaccine transparency.

One of the most common childhood inoculations — the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine — has been a requirement for school attendance since its development in the 1970s.

Fox News medical contributor Dr. Nicole Saphier answered some frequently asked questions regarding the vaccine in a video for Fox News Digital. (See the video at the top of the article.)

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People often ask why the three vaccines are combined, which Saphier said is simply for convenience.

"From a public health standpoint, if the goal is to vaccinate as many children as possible to reach that herd immunity and keep these infections at bay, again, parents are more likely to only bring their child to the pediatrician that one time," the doctor said.

"And on a child, isn't it easier to give one injection as opposed to three separate injections?"

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Saphier also addressed concerns about MMR vaccine side effects, including inflammatory reactions at the site of the injection, where the skin can become red and warm.

Children can also have low-grade fevers and feel irritable or lethargic, which is "likely to happen" even with each individual vaccine – not just when the vaccines are combined.

"The reality is there are always side effects when it comes to any sort of healthcare intervention," she said in the video. "But with vaccines in particular, you can have the more mild side effects, and there are some severe, more rare side effects that are well-documented."

The potential for a link between autism and vaccinations has been a deterrent for many parents when choosing to vaccinate their children, but Saphier said the "overwhelming majority" of "good research" shows no causal link.

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One of the largest studies, conducted in Denmark, found a lower risk of autism in more than 650,000 vaccinated children, the doctor noted.

While the U.S. has a higher incidence of autism compared to other countries, specifically Europe, the doctor revealed that European nations have higher rates of MMR vaccine uptake.

"The signs and symptoms [of autism] start to show around the time we're giving all these vaccines, so it makes sense to kind of think they may be related," she said. 

"And it made sense to do as much research as we can to make sure there isn't a link."

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"But I think we need to be looking really hard at our environment, what we're ingesting, the pollutants, the toxins, everything in big agriculture, big pharma, in our food industry and everything else."

Saphier suggested that a link to autism may be found after diving into the "harmful chemicals" consumed by Americans that other nations do not consume.

The doctor also said that medical agencies — such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the American Academy of Pediatrics — should be "less stringent" on vaccination schedules, leaving the decision to the parents.

"If parents don't want to give these vaccines when their babies are so little, I think it's OK to have that conversation and let them wait until their child's a little bit older before they head off to kindergarten," said Saphier, who is a mother of three boys.

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"Because maybe at that time, you start to see signs of autism between about 1 to 3 years of age for the most part. So maybe let the parent get their child through that time, and if there aren't signs of autism, then maybe they'll feel better about … being able to vaccinate their children."

"It should be a conversation between the doctor and the patient," she said.

"Unfortunately, during the COVID pandemic, the CDC and a lot of healthcare professionals really took away this conversation." 

"By putting the COVID vaccine and booster for children in the same basket as MMR and some of the other vaccines, when it comes to children, that was the biggest mistake they could have ever [made]," Saphier continued. 

"That has caused more vaccine hesitancy and concern."

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Saphier expressed her hope that the MAHA movement will help identify safety signals in vaccines, which will "give parents the confidence they need to continue with the vaccine programs, because they really can save lives."

Fox News Digital's Khloe Quill contributed reporting.

The top Republican on the Senate's chief health committee, Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., indicated Thursday during Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s second confirmation hearing of the week that his vote for Trump's nominee to head Health and Human Services was not a lock, noting that he was "struggling" to confirm Kennedy over his inability to admit vaccines are safe and don't cause autism.

Kennedy faced two separate hearings in front of Senate lawmakers this week in his bid to be the next secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. Kennedy was probed frequently over his views on vaccines, which have been a sticking point for many senators as they figure out whether to vote in favor of Kennedy's nomination or not.

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During the hearings, Kennedy refused to reject claims he has posited publicly in the past that vaccines cause autism and argued he is not anti-vaccine but rather "pro-safety." Kennedy added during the hearings that his plan as HHS secretary would be to "follow the science," noting that if the science says he is wrong on vaccines, he will publicly apologize. 

But senators, like Cassidy, have suggested during Kennedy's confirmation hearings that the science says vaccines are safe — and they don't cause autism.

"My responsibility is to learn, try and determine, if you can be trusted to support the best public health," Cassidy, a former physician, said during his closing remarks at Kennedy's Thursday confirmation hearing in front of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP). "A worthy movement called ‘MAHA,’" Cassidy continued, "to improve the health of Americans, or to undermine it, always asking for more evidence, and never accepting the evidence that is there … That is why I've been struggling with your nomination." 

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Cassidy repeatedly asked Kennedy during the Thursday hearing to publicly declare that vaccines don't cause autism, but he refused. "That would have an incredible impact," Cassidy said. 

"There are issues we are, man, ultra-processed food, obesity, we are simpatico. We are completely aligned," Cassidy continued during his closing remarks. "And as someone who has discussed immunizations with thousands of people, I understand that mothers want reassurance that the vaccine their child is receiving is necessary, safe and effective. We agree on that point, the two of us, but we've approached it differently. And I think I can say that I've approached it using the preponderance of evidence to reassure, and you've approached it using selective evidence to cast doubt."

Meanwhile, Cassidy pointed out the massive "megaphone" Kennedy has as a descendant of former President John F. Kennedy, and questioned whether he will use his credibility "to support" or "to undermine" the nation's public health and its confidence in vaccines.

"I got to figure that out, for my vote," Cassidy said.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President Donald Trump's nominee for secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), is back on Capitol Hill for a second day of Senate confirmation hearings after a grilling by Democrats during a contentious first day.

Kennedy will take questions on Thursday in front of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.

On Wednesday, in front of the Senate Finance Committee, which will vote on Kennedy's confirmation, there were plenty of verbal fireworks over past controversial comments by the vaccine skeptic and environmental crusader who ran for the White House in 2024 before ending his bid and endorsing Trump.

But Kennedy's uneven performance didn't appear to do damage to his confirmation, as no Republican on the panel voiced opposition to his nomination to lead 18 powerful federal agencies that oversee the nation's food and health. Those agencies include the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration, the National Institutes of Health, and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

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Democrats on the committee repeatedly pointed to Kennedy's controversial vaccine views, including his repeated claims in recent years linking vaccines to autism, which have been debunked by scientific research.

They also spotlighted Kennedy's service for years as chair or chief legal counsel for Children's Health Defense, the nonprofit organization he founded that has advocated against vaccines and sued the federal government numerous times, including a challenge over the authorization of the COVID vaccine for children.

"Mr. Kennedy has embraced conspiracy theories, quacks and charlatans, especially when it comes to the safety and efficacy of vaccines. He's made it his life's work to sow doubt and discourage parents from getting their kids life-saving vaccines," Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon, the top Democrat on the panel, charged in his opening statement.

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The senator also pointed to past Kennedy vaccine comments in podcasts, including one from 2020 when he said he would "pay anything" to be able to go back in time and not vaccinate his kids.

"Are you lying to Congress today when you say you are pro-vaccine? Or did you lie on all those podcasts?" Wyden asked.

Pushing back in a heated exchange, Kennedy said the statements he made on podcasts have "been repeatedly debunked."

And he vowed he would do nothing to prevent Americans from obtaining certain vaccines.

"I support the measles vaccine. I support the polio vaccine. I will do nothing as HHS secretary that makes it difficult or discourages people from taking anything," Kennedy said.

Democrat Sen. Michael Bennet of Colorado accused Kennedy of "peddling half-truths, peddling false statements."

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And Democrat Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island, who has known Kennedy for decades, dating back to their days as law school students and roommates at the University of Virginia, told his friend, "Frankly, you frighten people."

Kennedy was also heckled multiple times near the start of the hearing.

As Kennedy delivered his opening comments and said, "News reports have claimed that I am anti-vaccine or anti-industry. I am neither. I am pro-safety," a protester shouted, "You lie."

The heckler was led out of the hearing room by Capitol Police, as was a second protester minutes later.

And another protester was spotted in the audience holding a sign reading, "Vaccines Save Lives, No RFK JR." 

The 71-year-old Kennedy, a scion of the nation's most storied political dynasty, launched a long-shot campaign for the Democrat presidential nomination against President Joe Biden in April 2023. But six months later, he switched to an independent run for the White House.

Kennedy made major headlines again last August when he dropped his presidential bid and endorsed Trump. While Kennedy had long identified as a Democrat and repeatedly invoked his late father, former Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, and his late uncle, former President John F. Kennedy – who were both assassinated in the 1960s – Kennedy in recent years built relationships with far-right leaders due in part to his high-profile vaccine skepticism.

Trump announced soon after the November election that he would nominate Kennedy to his Cabinet to run HHS.

In the two months since Trump's announcement, it's not just Democrats who've raised questions about Kennedy's confirmation. Social conservative Republicans took issue with his past comments in support of abortion rights.

"My belief is we should leave it to the woman. We shouldn't have the government involved, even if it's full term," Kennedy said as he ran for president. 

But since endorsing Trump, Kennedy has walked back his stance on abortion. And in an exchange Wednesday with Democrat Sen. Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire, Kennedy said, "I agree with President Trump that every abortion is a tragedy."

Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, a former two-time Democrat presidential candidate, argued that Kennedy made a "major U-turn" on abortion.

Kennedy seemed to struggle when answering questions about how he would reform Medicare and Medicaid, the massive government healthcare programs used by millions of older, disabled and low-income Americans. He made misstatements on how Medicaid works, with senators offering corrections.

"I don’t have a broad proposal for dismantling the program," Kennedy said of Medicaid.

And he said Trump hadn't asked him to cut the program but rather "asked me to make it better."

Kennedy, whose outspoken views on Big Pharma and the food industry have also sparked controversy, vowed that "if confirmed, I will do everything in my power to put the health of Americans back on track."

While Democrats may find common ground with Kennedy's aim to shift the focus of the agencies he would oversee toward promotion of a healthy lifestyle, including overhauling dietary guidelines, taking aim at ultra-processed foods and getting to the root causes of chronic diseases, Kennedy lamented that they oppose him because he's Trump's nominee.

"Now they’re against me because anything that President Trump does, any decision he makes, has to be lampooned, derided, discredited, marginalized, vilified," Kennedy said.

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With Republicans controlling the Senate by a 53-47 majority, Kennedy can only afford to lose the support of three GOP senators if Democrats unite against his confirmation. During Wednesday's hearing, no Republicans appeared to oppose the nomination.

Republican Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina appeared to lean into the Democrats' attacks on Kennedy by asking, "I got a real quick question for you: Are you a conspiracy theorist?"

Kennedy answered that it "is a pejorative that's applied to me mainly to keep me from asking difficult questions of powerful interests."

GOP Sen. Steve Daines of Montana, a chemical engineer, noted that there were several Republican doctors on the committee.

"We believe in science. I’m thankful that you do, too," Daines said.

Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, a physician who said he had a "frank conversation" with Kennedy about immunizations when they met this month, didn't ask about vaccines during the committee hearing. Instead, he kept his questions about federal healthcare programs, including Medicare.

Meanwhile, GOP Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin took aim at Democrats on the committee for what he claimed was "hostility on the other side. … I'm disappointed with it."

Following Wednesday's hearing, Democrats kept up their criticism.

"I think you saw today that he's not backing down from any of his really crazy, loony conspiracy beliefs," Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut told reporters.

And Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, who is thought to be one of the few Democrats who may support Kennedy's confirmation, said, "I don't think it went well for him."

But GOP Sen. Roger Marshall of Kansas, who sits on the Finance Committee, pointed to Democrats on the panel and said, "I understand their concerns about vaccines. I think Bobby put those concerns to bed."

And Republican Sen. Jim Banks of Indiana told reporters that Kennedy "did great today. I expect him to do great tomorrow."

President Donald Trump will sign an executive order to reinstate service members booted from the military for declining to get COVID-19 vaccine jabs, according to the White House.

"The Executive Order directs the Secretary of Defense to reinstate all members of the military (active and reserve) who were discharged for refusing the COVID vaccine and who request to be reinstated," according to the White House fact sheet.

The service members who are reinstated will be restored to their prior rank, and will be provided back pay and benefits, according to the fact sheet.

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"From 2021 to 2023, the Biden Administration and former Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin discharged over 8,000 troops solely due to their COVID-19 vaccination status," the fact sheet notes. "After the vaccine mandate was repealed in 2023, only 43 of the more than the 8,000 troops dismissed elected to return to service under the Biden Administration and Secretary Austin."

During his inauguration speech, Trump pledged to make the move.

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"This week I will reinstate any service members who were unjustly expelled from our military for objecting to the COVID vaccine mandate, with full back pay," the president declared during remarks on Jan. 20.

During a campaign speech last year, Trump promised to rehire service members who were dismissed over the COVID-19 vaccine mandate, saying they would get back pay plus an apology from the government.

The newly inaugurated president has been signing a bevy of orders since taking office last week. 

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Monday afternoon will mark the end of his first full week back in office since his inauguration.

Retired U.S. Army Ranger Rep. Brian Mast praised President Donald Trump's plan to reinstate service members booted for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine with the brush of a pen, signaling an end to the saga that saw thousands expelled during the pandemic. 

"[It's a] great day for patriots, a great day for our service members, my brothers and sisters in arms," the Florida Republican congressman told "Fox & Friends" co-host Steve Doocy.

"Let's not forget… it wasn't just the military. It was other government agencies as well, where they were essentially washing conservatives that were raising their hand, saying, 'I don't want to take this vaccine.'

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"They were washing them out of government, washing them out of West Point and Naval Academy, Air Force, Coast Guard, Merchant Marine academies, washing them out from being on the next promotion boards for first sergeants, sergeants, majors or officers, and they were creating a system where the ones that were going to be giving promotion to the next classes of individuals were all going to be those that didn't say, 'No, I'm not a conservative, and you know, I'm okay with everything that you're doing right now.' That's what was taking place."

A White House fact sheet detailing the executive order says only 43 of the more than 8,000 service members discharged by the Biden administration and then-Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin returned to service after the vaccine mandate was repealed in 2023.

The same fact sheet says reinstated troops – both active duty and reserve – will be restored to their prior rank, and will receive back pay and benefits under Trump's order.

RILEY GAINES CELEBRATES REPEAL OF COVID VACCINATION MANDATE FOR LEGAL IMMIGRANTS

Mast introduced legislation in 2023 to require military departments to reinstate individuals upon their request who refused to receive the vaccination.

"It's going to be beautiful [to] have these individuals returning, putting on that uniform, that sense of pride for their family, that they stood up for their causes, what they believed in, and they were rewarded for it. They're returning back to the military," Mast added.

Louisiana Republican Sen. John Kennedy, who also appeared on "Fox & Friends" Monday, lauded Trump for "doing the right thing" by reinstating the troops.

"There were a lot of younger people who said, ‘This is a government vaccine, at least government-funded,’ and they don't completely trust the government, and on principle, they said, 'We don't want to take the vaccine. Dr. Fauci… he made them [take the vaccine]. He tried to establish complete control over everybody. Why did he do that? In my opinion, he was scared," he said. 

"I think we're going to find out [Dr. Fauci] was funding gain of function research in a Chinese lab, and the virus may have gotten out from the lab. Dr. Fauci saw that, and he said, 'Oh my God, I could get blamed for all this, so I'm going to have to establish complete control, so nobody has questions and nobody looks under the seat cushions.' I thought he went too far in terms of mandating the vaccine for everybody."

Signing the executive order will fulfill a promise inauguration attendees heard during Trump's address from the Capitol rotunda last Monday.

Newly-confirmed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth backed the plan during his confirmation hearings before the Senate Armed Services Committee earlier this month.

Fox News' Alex Nitzberg and Peter Doocy contributed to this report.