Washington (CNN) Rep.-elect Mark Green, who is also a doctor, falsely claimed at a town hall Tuesday that a rise in autism cases could be linked to preservatives in vaccines, according to a video posted by The Tennessean on Wednesday.

The video shows Green, a Republican from Tennessee, saying he'll confront the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention about autism and vaccines.

"Let me say this about autism," Green said. "I have committed to people in my community, up in Montgomery County, to stand on the CDC's desk and get the real data on vaccines. Because there is some concern that the rise in autism is the result of the preservatives that are in our vaccines."

However, Green said after the video was published Wednesday that his comments are being "misconstrued."

"Recent comments I made at a town hall regarding vaccines has been misconstrued. I want to reiterate my wife and I vaccinated our children, and we believe, and advise others they should have their children vaccinated," Green said in a statement to CNN on Wednesday.

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