HHS announces revival of childhood vaccine safety task force

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on Thursday announced it was reinstating the long-dormant Task Force on Safer Childhood Vaccines, which provides oversight of vaccines that are administered to children. 

The panel was created by Congress in 1986 under the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act, but gave Congress its final report in 1998. The task force and HHS secretary are required to give Congress updates every two years. 

The new panel will consist of experts from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration, with NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya serving as chairman.

"By reinstating this Task Force, we are reaffirming our commitment to rigorous science, continuous improvement, and the trust of American families," Bhattacharya said in a statement. "NIH is proud to lead this effort to advance vaccine safety and support innovation that protects children without compromise."

The task force will work alongside the Advisory Commission on Childhood Vaccines and provide guidance on the development and refinement of childhood vaccines that result in fewer and less serious reactions than current vaccines, and improve vaccine development, production, distribution, and adverse reaction reporting.

The reinstatement comes amid a controversial period in the HHS' history based on Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s skepticism of childhood vaccines, including vaccines against measles and rubella.

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.