RFK Jr revives task force on childhood vaccine safety

August 15, 2025

The U.S. Health and Human Services Department is reinstating the Task Force on Safer Childhood Vaccines, which was disbanded in 1998, to improve vaccine safety and reduce adverse reactions in children. This revival follows pressure from anti-vaccine groups, including a lawsuit from Children's Health Defense, an organization founded by current Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Who is affected

American children receiving vaccines
Parents making vaccination decisions for their children
Federal health agencies (NIH, FDA, CDC)
Members of the previous vaccine advisory committees who were removed
Anti-vaccine activists and organizations like Children's Health Defense

What action is being taken

The Task Force on Safer Childhood Vaccines is being reinstated
The task force is reviewing childhood vaccines to find options with fewer adverse reactions
HHS is changing the composition of federal vaccine advisory committees
The CDC's recommendations for COVID-19 vaccines for pregnant women and healthy children are being removed
The newly formed panel is reviewing the health effects of the childhood vaccination schedule

Why it matters

The changes represent a significant shift in federal vaccine policy oversight
The task force is intended to improve vaccine safety for American children
The moves fulfill demands from anti-vaccine groups that have historically spread misinformation
The changes could impact which vaccines are recommended and administered to children
The reorganization places vaccine skeptics in positions of influence over national immunization policies

What's next

No explicit next steps stated in the article

Read full article from source: BBC