Vice President Kamala Harris released a letter from the White House physician on Saturday, saying she is in “excellent health” and is dealing well with some minor health issues.
Harris, 59, suffers from seasonal allergies, mild nearsightedness and skin hives, which she treats with over-the-counter and prescription medications, wrote Joshua R. Simmons, the vice president’s physician.
“Vice President Harris remains in good health,” Simmons wrote in a two-page letter that appears to be a summary but is not a complete medical report. “She has the physical and mental resilience necessary to successfully carry out the duties of the President, including Chief Executive, Head of State, and Commander-in-Chief.”
Dr. Simmons wrote that Harris did not have diabetes, high cholesterol, heart disease, cancer, osteoporosis or neurological disorders.
Harris’ release of medical information comes as her 78-year-old rival, former President Donald J. Trump, has refused to release similar basic health information. Neither White House candidate has allowed journalists to ask their doctors additional questions.
Presidential candidates are not required to share their health records, so their medical information is as private as any other citizen’s, so medical reports during the election period provide candidates with as rosy a picture as possible. Often used to draw images. With Election Day just weeks away, Ms. Harris’ campaign will no doubt seek to stir up questions about her opponent’s health by contrasting her own medical information release with Mr. Trump’s refusal to do so.
Dr. Simmons wrote in a letter sent on White House military letterhead that he had been treating Harris since she took office as vice president and had her most recent medical exam in April.
He described her as a “healthy 59-year-old woman” who suffers from hay fever, seasonal pollen-induced allergies and skin hives. Dr. Simmons said she takes the common drug Allegra, along with eye drops and nasal sprays, to deal with both allergies and hives, and that her symptoms are mild and that It is written that it will not be suppressed by.
Dr. Simmons said the vice president is also mildly nearsighted and wears contact lenses, but he can read comfortably without them. He wrote that her vision without contacts was 20/40 in her left eye and 20/25 in her right eye. With contacts or glasses, her vision is 20/20.
The letter first revealed that Harris had her appendix removed as part of a procedure to correct a blockage in her intestines when she was a 3-year-old girl. Dr. Simmons wrote that this was the only surgical procedure she underwent.
Dr. Simmons wrote that Harris takes vitamin D3 supplements and maintains “daily vigorous aerobic exercise and core strength training.” In an interview with Howard Stern this week, Harris said she spends 30 to 45 minutes training on the elliptical machine every morning.
Dr Simmons said Harris’ diet is “very healthy”, he “does not use tobacco products” and he only drinks alcohol “occasionally and in moderation”.
Trump, the oldest presidential candidate, has refused requests to release new information about his health despite promises. When he was grazed by a would-be assassin’s bullet at a rally in the summer, his camp offered no explanation, did not release hospital records, and did not allow interviews with the emergency physicians who treated him.
As president, Trump was hospitalized with the coronavirus in 2020, but doctors at the time did not tell the public the full extent of his illness. The limited information about his health contrasts with the image the former doctor shared of him as a candidate in 2015, declaring that he would be “the healthiest person ever elected to office.” It is.
Trump told CBS News in August that he would “gladly” make his medical records available to the public, but did not respond to a request for information from The New York Times. Last month, the newspaper also requested Harris’ health records and an interview with her doctor. The camp did not respond.
Sharing medical records has been a cudgel in election campaigns for decades. During the 1996 presidential election, Sen. Bob Dole of Kansas successfully pressured his opponent, President Bill Clinton, to release more health information, arguing that he was not sharing complete information. But there is a long history of candidates and presidents hiding their illnesses, at least initially, or being selective about the information they share.
In September 2016, then-Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton contracted pneumonia while campaigning, raising many questions about her health as her aides initially covered up her illness.
Trump, who ran against Clinton, repeatedly mentioned her health during the campaign, often implying that she lacked the strength. He made similar remarks during the 2020 and 2024 campaigns against President Biden, calling the president “sleepy” and expressing embarrassment over Biden’s toxic debate performance in June.
Now he’s competing against someone nearly 20 years his junior.
Harris undergoes an annual health check-up by a doctor from the White House Medical Department, which includes basic health-related information such as height, weight, job description, and history of cancer screening and mammography. Information has not been made public. .
