Let HHS Know How You Feel About Updated Vaccine Guidance

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued a Request for Information (RFI) on August 21 regarding federal vaccine recommendations, parental & religious rights, and the role of shared clinical decision-making.

On August 10, President Donald Trump signed a new executive order calling for changes to the childhood vaccination schedule that include separating the measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) combination vaccine into three separate vaccines to be given at intervals. This “lower and slower” approach makes sense considering the very young age at which the shots are administered and that the safety of giving multiple vaccines in one setting has never been appropriately studied.

This follows President Trump’s May 29 executive order which narrowed the number of recommended childhood vaccines from 18 to 11 to better align with peer developed countries which have a less aggressive schedule than the U.S. The new executive order reaffirms the earlier directive which has been delayed after challenges in court by groups including the Pharma-financed American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) over the composition of the latest Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP).

The August 10 order also prioritizes the role of parents in making vaccination decisions for their children and the importance of upholding religious vaccine exemptions, directing the Attorney General to take legal action “challenging State laws that conflict with States’ constitutional and Federal statutory obligations related to parental authority, religious freedom, disability accommodations, and equal protection under the law,” emphasizing that each state must provide religious and medical exemptions to vaccines.

With the pressure being applied by AAP and other compromised healthcare groups to maintain the Pharma-friendly status quo that has harmed so many of our nation’s children, it’s crucial to weigh in on the current administration’s directives regarding U.S. vaccine policy.

The RFI invited public comment on the following considerations regarding vaccine policy and recommendations:

• The availability, quality, and strength of evidence
• How shared clinical decision-making is understood and applied in practice, and how the category could be improved
• The appropriate approach when randomized controlled trial evidence is limited or absent
• Individual autonomy, informed consent, parental rights and religious freedom
• The legal and programmatic consequences of recommendation categories
• Communication practices necessary to earn and maintain public trust

The deadline to comment on these changes is September 20 so act now and please share this web page with others and on social media to maximize our impact in this historic effort to finally prioritize childhood health and parental rights over industry profitability.