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

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.

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on Friday announced that Dave Weldon is his choice to serve as director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, a sweeping U.S. agency with a $17.