--- description: The New Jersey governor and likely presidential candidate plays doctor—and fails title: Chris Christie Plays Doctor on Vaccines — And Fails image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt1b8e62d232d4b823/69877d2ccd6848b510099799/christie.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Ideas](/section/ideas/) ## Ideas Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [Health Care](/tag/health-care/) ## Health Care Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Chris Christie's Terrible Vaccine Advice  by [Jeffrey Kluger](/author/jeffrey-kluger/)  ## Jeffrey Kluger Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Editor at Large Updated: Dec 13, 2023 6:32 PM CUTPublished: Feb 2, 2015 5:00 PM CUT  Did I say that? The NJ gov has medical wisdom to share Did I say that? The NJ gov has medical wisdom to shareJeff Zelevansky; Getty Images  by [Jeffrey Kluger](/author/jeffrey-kluger/)  ## Jeffrey Kluger Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Editor at Large Updated: Dec 13, 2023 6:32 PM CUTPublished: Feb 2, 2015 5:00 PM CUT Last I checked, Chris Christie isn’t a licensed commercial pilot, which is one reason he probably doesn’t phone the cockpit with instructions when his flight encounters turbulence. Chances are, he doesn’t tell his plow operators how to clear a road when New Jersey gets hit by a snowstorm either. But when it comes to medicine, the current governor, former prosecutor and never doctor evidently feels pretty free to dispense advice. And don’tcha’ know it? That advice turns out to be terrible. Asked about the ongoing 14-state outbreak of measles that has been linked to falling vaccination rates, Christie—the man who prides himself on chin-jutting certainty—went all squishy. “Mary Pat and I have had our children vaccinated, and we think that it’s an important part of being sure we protect their health and the public health,” he said. “I also understand that parents need to have some measure of choice in things as well, so that’s the balance that the government has to decide.” The governor then went further, taking off his family-doctor hat and putting on his epidemiologist hat. “Not every vaccine is created equal,” he said, “and not every disease type is as great a public-health threat as others.” **MORE:** [Christie Says Parents Should Have Choice on Measles Vaccine](http://time.com/3691969/chris-christie-measles/ "undefined") He was not specific about which diseases fall below his public-health threat threshold, but New Jerseyans are free to guess. Would it be polio, which paralyzed or killed tens of thousands of American children every year before a vaccine against it was developed? Would it be whooping cough, which results in hospitalization for 50% of all infants who contract it and death for 2%, and is now making a comeback in California because of the state’s low vaccination rates? Or would it be measles, which still kills nearly 150,000 people—mostly children—worldwide every year? O.K., so politicians hedge—especially when they’re thinking of running for President. But this isn’t Christie’s first time at the antivax rodeo. In 2009, he shamefully—and un-take-backably—endorsed the central fallacy of the Jenny McCarthy–esque crazies: that vaccines cause autism. “I have met with families affected by autism from across the state and have been struck by their incredible grace and courage,” he [wrote](http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/02/02/christie-i-stand-with-autism-fearing-anti-vaxx-parents.html "undefined") in a letter to supporters. “Many of these families have expressed their concern over New Jersey’s highest-in-the-nation vaccine mandates. I stand with them now, and will stand with them as their governor in their fight for greater parental involvement in vaccination decisions that affect their children.” In fairness, medical nincompoopery knows no party label, as then Senator Barack Obama illustrated when he was running for President in 2008\. “We’ve seen just a skyrocketing autism rate,” he said at a Pennsylvania rally. “Some people are suspicious that it’s connected to the vaccines. This person included. The science right now is inconclusive, but we have to research it.” Christie and Obama have gone quiet on this utterly debunked claim, as has McCarthy herself of late. But Christie’s more recent—if less outrageous—remark is just as dangerous for the very fact that it sounds more reasonable. Vaccines are not intended to be taken cafeteria style, helping yourself to the full course of polio shots while sampling the MMR and saying a firm no-thanks to the lifesaving HPV vaccine. Vaccine coverage, as real epidemiologists will tell you for the trillionth time if that’s what it takes, needs to be around 95% in most cases to create herd immunity—the protection a well-vaccinated community provides to its comparatively few members who truly cannot be vaccinated for demonstrable medical reasons. New Jersey is [barely scraping by on this score, with a 95.3%](http://time.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/all%5Fschools%5Fvac14.pdf "undefined") rate in 2014, and some counties—like Monmouth, lowest in the state at 92.6%, and Hunterdon, at 93.1%—are failing the course entirely. Seems like a bad time for the teacher to tell the class not to worry about studying. ### See Chris Christie's Life in Photos  Chris Christie as an infant in 1963. Courtesy of Governor Chris Christie  The Christie family, from left to right, Todd, Dawn, and Chris, with mom, Sondra in an undated photo. Courtesy of Governor Chris Christie  The Christie family, from left to right, Dawn, Todd and Chris, with mom, Sondra and dad, Bill in Singer Island, Fla., in 1974. Courtesy of Governor Chris Christie  An undated photo of Chris Christie, who played catcher for the Livingston High School varsity baseball team. Courtesy of Governor Chris Christie  Chris Christie's senior class photo and profile from Livingston High School's yearbook in 1980. Courtesy of Governor Chris Christie  Livingston High School's yearbook profile on Chris Christie in 1980. Courtesy of Governor Chris Christie  An early photo of Chris Christie and his wife Mary Pat where the couple met at the University of Delaware. Courtesy of Governor Chris Christie  Chris Christie and Mary Pat on their wedding day in 1986. Courtesy of Governor Chris Christie  Chris Christie, left, is sworn as freeholder, by Senator Joseph Kyrillos, Jr., as Christie’s wife Mary Pat holds the bible and their son Andrew during the Morris County Board of Freeholders reorganization meeting in Morristown, N.J. Patti Sapone—Star-Ledger  The Governor Chris Christie and his family in 1994. Courtesy of Governor Chris Christie  Chris Christie and his wife Mary Pat at the inauguration of former president George W. Bush in Washington on Jan. 20, 2001. Courtesy of Governor Chris Christie  Chris Christie, center, answers a question on the steps of U.S. District Courthouse in Newark, N.J. on Aug. 13, 2003. Mike Derer—AP  New Jersey Republican nominee for Governor Chris Christie (C) and his running mate Sheriff Kim Guadagno (L) make some phone calls to voters at Monmouth County Republican Headquarters in Freehold, N.J. on Nov. 2, 2009. Hiroko Masuike—Getty Images  New Jersey Governor-elect Chris Christie and wife Mary Pat wave to election-night supporters at Christie's victory celebration in Parsippany, N.J. on Nov. 3, 2009. Stephen Chernin—Getty Images  Governor Chris Christie spends time with his daughter Bridget during Take Our Kids to Work Day in Trenton, N.J. on April 22, 2010. Matt Rainey—Star-Ledger  Talk-show host Oprah Winfrey poses with New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Newark, N.J., Mayor Cory Booker and Mark Zuckerberg, founder of Facebook, during a live broadcast of "The Oprah Winfrey Show" on Sept. 24, 2010, in Chicago. Harpo Productions/AP  New Jersey Governor Chris Christie lays a white rose on wreckage pulled from Ground Zero during the memorial dedication to the Empty Sky Memorial at Liberty State Park on Sept. 10, 2011 in Jersey City, N.J. Andrew Burton—Getty Images  New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, center, touches the stones of the Western Wall during his visit to Jerusalem's old city, April 2, 2012. Sebastian Scheiner—AP  President Barack Obama tours 1 World Trade Center with New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, center, and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, in New York City on, June 14, 2012. Doug Mills—The New York Times/Redux  New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie kisses his wife, Mary Pat, at an appearance with the Michigan delegation at the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Fla., on Aug. 28, 2012. Max Whittaker—The New York Times/Redux  New Jersey Governor Chris Christie speaks during the Republican National Convention at the Tampa Bay Times Forum in Tampa, Fla, on Aug. 28, 2012. Stan Honda—AFP/Getty Images  Mitt Romney, Republican presidential candidate, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, and Bob White, left, a Romney adviser, on Romney's campaign bus in Mount Vernon, Ohio, Oct. 10, 2012. Jim Wilson—The New York Times/Redux  Governor Chris Christie, Seth Meyers on Saturday Night Live's Weekend Update on Nov. 11, 2012. NBC/Getty Images  Governor Chris Christie and President Barack Obama hold a press conference after taking an ariel tour of the damage in New Jersey from Hurricane Sandy and and talking to residents in Brigantine, N.J. on Oct. 31, 2012. Tim Larsen—Governor's Office  New Jersey Governor Chris Christie comforts Kerri Berean whose home was damaged by Hurricane Sandy in Little Ferry, N.J., on Nov. 3, 2012. Tim Larsen—Governor's Office/Reuters  New Jersey Governor Chris Christie appeared on "Barbara Walters Presents: The 10 Most Fascinating People of 2012," which aired Dec. 12, 2012. Ida Mae Astute—ABC/Getty Images  New Jersey Governor Chris Christie departs after giving his State of the State address in the assembly chamber in Trenton, N.J. on Jan. 8, 2013\. Christie renewed his calls to the U.S. Congress on Tuesday to quickly pass the full $60.4 billion Superstorm Sandy relief package, saying victims in New Jersey had been short-changed. Carlo Allegri—Reuters  Gov. Chris Christie fixes his tie in his offfice before delivering his State Of The State address at the Statehouse, Tuesday, Jan. 8, 2013, in Trenton, N.J. Edward Keating—Contact for TIME  US President Barack Obama and New Jersey Governor Chris Christie (L) walk along the boardwalk as they view rebuilding efforts following last year's Hurricane Sandy in Point Pleasant, N.J. on May 28, 2013. Saul Loeb—AFP/Getty Images  New Jersey Governor Chris Christie celebrates his re-election in Asbury Park, N.J., on Nov. 5, 2013. Brooks Kraft—Corbis for TIME The backlash against Christie—particularly in social media—has been fierce. “Insane. Christie is done,” [tweeted CNN’s Campbell Brown](https://twitter.com/campbell%5Fbrown/status/562246871411093504 "undefined"). [Business Insider](http://www.businessinsider.com/chris-christie-is-getting-ripped-for-his-insane-comment-on-vaccinations-2015-2 "undefined") jumped on [tweets by GOP strategist Rick Wilson,](https://twitter.com/therickwilson "undefined") who said Christie had “disqualified” himself from serious presidential consideration and called his statement “wildly irresponsible.” Wilson added: “Hey…you know what’s great? Not having 1 in 3 kids die of preventable diseases.” Christie—no surprise–quickly began walking back his statement. “To be clear,” his spokesman said Monday, “The governor believes vaccines are an important public health measure and with a disease like measles there is no question kids should be vaccinated.” Then, alas, the top dog—through the poor spokesman—went all yippy again. “At the same time, different states require different degrees of vaccination, which is why he was calling for balance in which ones government should mandate.” It was a nice, nuanced statement. The problem, as a real epidemiologist will tell you, is that viruses don’t do nuance. Diseases don’t do nuance. They do sickness and death. Vaccines—as Governor Christie is supposed to know—stop that. ### See the 2016 Candidates Looking Very Presidential  Sen. Ted Cruz is surrounded by stars and stripes at the 2014 Values Voter Summit in Washington, D.C. on September 26, 2014. Mark Peterson—Redux  Hillary Clinton Hillary Clinton gazes pensively into the distance at Iowa Senator Tom Harken'a annual Steak Fry in Indianola, Iowa on September 14, 2014. Brooks Kraft—Corbis for TIME  Jeb Bush Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush flashes a power watch before giving his keynote address at the National Summit on Education Reform in Washington on Nov. 20, 2014. Susan Walsh—AP  Bernie Sanders waves to supporters after officially announcing his candidacy for the U.S. presidency during an event at Waterfront Park in Burlington, Vermont, on May 26, 2015. Win McNamee—Getty Images  Chris Christie New Jersey Governor Chris Christie strikes a presidential power stance at the ceremony for the opening of the 206 bypass in Hillsborough, New Jersey on October 28, 2013. Mark Peterson—Redux  Former Hewlett-Packard Co Chief Executive Officer Carly Fiorina listens to her introduction from the side of the stage at the Freedom Summit in Des Moines, Iowa on Jan. 24, 2015. Jim Young—Reuters  Rand Paul Sen. Rand Paul works a crowd during a campaign stop on October 24, 2014 in McDonough, Georgia. Jessica McGowan—Getty Images  Rick Perry Texas Gov. Rick Perry looks powerfully patriotic during the National Anthem before an NCAA college football game on Nov. 27, 2014, in College Station, Texas. David J. Phillip—AP  Bobby Jindal Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal looks to the future during The Family Leadership Summit on Aug. 9, 2014, in Ames, Iowa. Charlie Neibergall—AP  Martin O'Malley Maryland Governor Martin OíMalley ponders decorating ideas in front of his possible future home on CBS's Face the Nation on Feb. 23, 2014. Chris Usher—AP  Marco Rubio Sen. Marco Rubio looks determined the morning after the State of the Union address in Washington, D.C. on January 29, 2014. Melissa Golden—Redux  Ben CarsonBen Carson at the Conservative Political Action Committee annual conference on March 8, 2014. Susan Walsh—AP  Jim Webb Retiring Sen. Jim Webb imitates the presidential wave during a rally in Virginia Beach, Va. on Sept. 27, 2012. Steve Helber—AP  John Kasich Ohio Gov. John Kasich practices his presidential victory pose at the Ohio Republican Party celebration on Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2014, in Columbus, Ohio. Tony Dejak—AP  Rick Santorum Former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum looks resolute at CPAC, the Conservative Political Action Conference on March 7, 2014. Brooks Kraft—Corbis  Scott Walker Wisconsin Republican Gov. Scott Walker practices the presidential point on March 3, 2014 in Milwaukee. Jeffrey Phelps—AP  Mike Huckabee Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee fine-tunes his presidential oratory at the Conservative Political Action Committee annual conference in National Harbor, Md. on March 7, 2014. Susan Walsh—AP  Lincoln Chafee, Former Rhode Island Governor, poses for a selfie with a student after announcing he will seek the Democratic nomination for president in Arlington, Va. on June 3, 2015. Jonathan Ernst—Reuters  Lindsey Graham Lindsey Graham announced his plans to join the 2016 presidential race. Alex Wong—Getty Images  George Pataki Former New York governor George Pataki listens to a question at the First in the Nation Republican Leadership Conference in Nashua, New Hampshire, in this April 17, 2015 file photo. 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