The following is from Children’s Health Defense.
The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced it has reinstated the Task Force on Safer Childhood Vaccines, a federal panel created by Congress to improve the safety of childhood vaccines.
The move comes one day before the agency’s deadline to respond to a lawsuit alleging that Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. violated federal law by failing to set up the task force when he took office. The lawsuit, filed in May by attorney Ray Flores and funded by Children’s Health Defense (CHD), claimed Kennedy was in violation of the 1986 National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act, which requires HHS to form the task force and report its progress to Congress every two years.
Flores called the announcement “a great day for children and a great day for CHD,” and said he plans to file a dismissal “without prejudice,” allowing him to refile if the agency fails to follow through.
CHD CEO Mary Holland praised the decision:
“We are grateful to Secretary Kennedy for fulfilling his duty under the 1986 National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act. It took nearly 30 years for HHS to do this, but at last, we have an HHS secretary who is following the law on this vital issue.”
The 1986 act requires the task force to include the HHS secretary, the FDA commissioner, and the directors of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
According to Flores, no health secretary has ever reported to Congress on steps to make vaccines safer, despite the law’s requirements. A prior HHS task force was formed in 1990 but disbanded in 1998 without producing reports.
Holland credited Flores for bringing the issue forward, saying:
“Citizens can and do create real change for the better.”
In today’s announcement, NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya said:
“By reinstating this Task Force, we are reaffirming our commitment to rigorous science, continuous improvement, and the trust of American families. NIH is proud to lead this effort to advance vaccine safety and support innovation that protects children without compromise.”
The task force will work with the CDC vaccine advisory committee to make regular recommendations on developing and refining childhood vaccines to reduce and prevent serious adverse reactions, while also improving vaccine production, distribution, and adverse reaction reporting.
For more information, read the full article here.
