WASHINGTON — As Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky eyes a presidential race, he’s likely to face questions about several contested or disproven statements he has made on various subjects. 

Here’s a sample:

VACCINES

While a measles outbreak was spurring new calls for vaccinations, Paul said in a Feb. 2 TV interview: “I have heard of many tragic cases of walking, talking normal children who wound up with profound mental disorders after vaccines.”

Pediatric groups called the remarks irresponsible, saying the benefits of child vaccines greatly outweigh the risk. The Institute of Medicine, part of the National Academy of Sciences, says vaccines are not free from adverse effects, “but most are very rare or very mild.”

The next day Paul, an ophthalmologist, said he wasn’t implying a direct link between vaccines and profound mental disorders.