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The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is asking the public to comment on whether the agency should change its vaccine recommendation categories.
The agency is also asking for input on how vaccine recommendations are set and how to rebuild public trust.
Comments are due by Sept. 20, 11:59 ET. The public can submit comments online or mail them to Cynthia Goss, 200 Independence Ave. SW, Washington, D.C., 20201. As of press time, almost 23,000 comments had been recorded.
In an Aug. 24 notice in the Federal Register, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. listed 18 questions about vaccine recommendations for the public to answer. People don’t have to answer all 18 questions, Kennedy wrote. Concrete examples are encouraged.
The call for public comments follows President Donald Trump’s Aug. 10 executive order calling for sweeping changes to U.S. vaccine policy, including reducing the number of diseases for which children receive routine vaccines from 18 to 11.
In his order, Trump charged the Task Force on Safer Childhood Vaccines with drafting a report to the White House within 90 days on how to improve vaccine safety and parental vaccine options.
The task force will use the public comments when evaluating whether the agency’s current recommendation framework adequately advances scientific rigor, informed choice and public trust, HHS said in its press release.
An HHS spokesperson told The Defender:
“Under the leadership of President Trump and Secretary Kennedy, HHS is committed to ensuring federal vaccine recommendations are grounded in gold-standard science and transparency to restore trust in our public health institutions.
“The public comment period gives American families, healthcare providers, and other stakeholders a meaningful opportunity to inform the Task Force’s evaluation of the current recommendation framework, and HHS will carefully consider the input received as that work moves forward.”
Below are comments submitted to HHS this week by Children’s Health Defense CEO Mary Holland:
“In its Request for Information dated August 21, 2026, the US Department of Health and Human Services asked for “communication practices necessary to earn and maintain public trust.”
To be blunt, HHS must not lie if it is to be able to earn and maintain public trust.
Stating unequivocally that childhood vaccines are “safe and effective” is a lie. They may be safe and effective for some, but are extremely hazardous and ineffective for others. This is why a “one size fits all” vaccination policy has never, and will never, work for all children. Just as some people can take penicillin and be perfectly fine, for others, it is deadly. Vaccine injury has undoubtedly been a driver of the childhood epidemic of chronic disease as substantiated in studies comparing health outcomes in vaccinated and unvaccinated populations.
HHS must treat parents as capable, ultimate decision makers on children’s health. No one knows their children better than they do; no one has more responsibility; no one is in a better position to decide.
We hope that the changes outlined in the August 10 Executive Order become law, that the Attorney General takes action against states that deny religious exemptions to vaccination for children to attend school, and that parents will enjoy maximal choice over childhood vaccines, including the choice to refrain from vaccines altogether.
When HHS acknowledges and respects parental experience and wisdom, operates with transparency and integrity, and refuses to lie, it will have a chance to win back and maintain public trust.
Sincerely,
Mary Holland
President & CEO of Children’s Health Defense”
This is your chance to speak out on vaccine policy — don’t miss out! Take action by Sept. 20: Tell HHS what you think about its updated vaccine policy.
