CNN —
Vice President Kamala Harris is in “excellent health,” her doctor, U.S. military physician Joshua R. Simmons, said in a letter summarizing her medical history released by the White House on Saturday. Ta.
According to Simmons’ letter, Harris suffers from seasonal allergies and hives, and is nearsighted. All of her vaccinations and preventive care recommendations are up to date, and her recent April checkup and regular blood tests give her nothing to worry about.
The vice president wears contact lenses, takes vitamin D3 supplements, and sometimes uses over-the-counter and prescription allergy medications such as Allegra, nasal spray, and eye drops, Simmons wrote. Simmons said Harris’ diet is “very healthy,” adding that Harris does not use tobacco products and only drinks alcohol “occasionally and in moderation.”
“She has the physical and mental resilience necessary to successfully carry out the duties of the presidency,” Simmons’ letter said.
Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN’s chief medical correspondent, said what the letter doesn’t say is “in some ways the most remarkable.” “He has no history of diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease, lung disease or cancer,” Mr.
The letter attempts to draw a contrast between the 59-year-old Democratic candidate and his Republican rival, 78-year-old Donald Trump. Donald Trump is vying to become the oldest person ever elected to the Oval Office, but he has kept relatively little public information about his own medical history.
When President Joe Biden, 81, was seeking re-election, age was a major concern for voters. His withdrawal from the race in July opened the door for Democrats to launch attacks on biographical contrasts they had previously sought to downplay.
In November 2023, President Trump posted a letter on social media from his doctor, Bruce Aronwald, in which the doctor said Trump was in “good overall health.”
“His physical examination was within normal limits and cognitive testing was exceptional,” Aronwald wrote.
President Trump has not released his actual medical records, and his past health notes are filled with exaggerated language.
Harris has never previously disclosed such details about her medical history. She said on social media that her late mother Shyamala Gopalan Harris, who died of colon cancer in 2009, worked as a breast cancer researcher and advocated for breast cancer screening.
Simmons wrote that Harris’ “family history is notable for her mother’s history of colon cancer.” He said Harris’ only surgeries were open surgery and an accidental appendectomy when she was 3 years old.
This article and headline have been updated with new reporting.
