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HHS Defends Urologist Leading U.S. Hantavirus Response

HHS defends the appointment despite mounting criticism of his credentials.

Admiral Brian Christine, MD, the Assistant Secretary for Health, US Department of Health and Human Services speaks during a press conference at the University of Nebraska Medical Center campus, which holds the National Quarantine Unit, on May 11, in Omaha, Nebraska.
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Brian Christine, nominee to be assistant Health and Human Services secretary for health, testifies before the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee on Capitol Hill July 16, 2025.
Admiral Brian Christine, Assistant Secretary for Health (ASH) and Head of the United States Public Health Service (USPHS) Commissioned Corps, attends a Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee confirmation hearing for Casey Means, nominated to serve as the next U.S. Surgeon General, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S., February 25, 2026. REUTERS/Kylie Cooper

Overview

  • HHS stood by Assistant Secretary for Health Brian Christine after investigative reports on Friday detailed his past podcasts and social posts, and Christine called CNN’s reporting a smear in a post on X.
  • Christine is an Alabama urologist who specialized in penile implants and once hosted a professional YouTube series called “Erection Connection,” yet he now oversees infectious-disease policy and leads the U.S. Public Health Service as a four-star admiral.
  • Archived recordings and posts reviewed by outlets show he promoted conspiracy claims about Covid, compared the Biden administration to Nazi Germany, questioned the 2020 election, opposed abortion even in cases of rape or incest, and cast doubt on vaccines.
  • At a Nebraska briefing this week, he pledged a response “grounded in science” as authorities monitor more than 40 people in the U.S. linked to a cruise-ship outbreak of the Andes hantavirus; experts continue to say the general public’s risk is low.
  • Public health experts warn that elevating a surgical specialist with little outbreak experience to front an emergency could erode trust and blur guidance, a concern sharpened by recent vacancies at key health agencies reported by USA Today.