Dr. Ben Carson, a retired neurosurgeon and possible 2016 Republican presidential candidate, said the current measles outbreak is a result of "people in our country who have become lax in terms of their vigilance, getting their kids immunized, and... people coming in who are not necessarily being properly screened."
The Hill reports that in an interview with CNN's Chris Cuomo, Carson said he was not trying to turn the "measles debate into an immigration debate."
"It's not code," Carson said, "and I'm not trying to make it into any particular argument. I'm stating what the facts are."
Surprisingly, though, Carson took the opposite stance from fellow Republicans Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and Gov. Chris Christie (R-N.J.) on vaccinating children. "We have to recognize that public safety and public health is a responsibility of the government," Carson said.