The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is reviving a task force on the safety of childhood vaccines, following a demand from the anti-vaccine organization founded by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. The task force will focus on developing and promoting childhood vaccines that result in fewer and less serious adverse reactions than those currently on the market. It will also work on improving the reporting of adverse reactions and supporting research on vaccine safety. The task force was first required by the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act of 1986, which also required the HHS secretary to provide Congress with progress reports every two years. The task force will be composed of senior leadership from across federal health agencies, including the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Food and Drug Administration. NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya will serve as chair. Critics argue that resurrecting the panel could undermine public confidence in vaccines and redirect or stop investments in childhood vaccines. Kennedy has questioned the safety of childhood vaccines for decades and frequently claimed existing vaccines that have been on the market for decades and have repeatedly been proven safe are risky. Reconvening the vaccine safety panel could be a key step toward changing the childhood immunization schedule, which recommends which shots children receive and when.
The HHS has initiated a revival of a long-standing childhood vaccine safety task force. ThuyTruongSpa 611
