Public Policy & NGOs
Here's a look at documents from public policy and non-governmental organizations
Public Policy & NGOs
Featured Stories
Protect Our Care Statement: Democrats Fight to Stop Trump's Latest Attack on the ACA as Republicans Cause Health Care Costs to Soar
WASHINGTON, Sept. 30 -- Protect Our Care issued the following news:
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STATEMENT: Democrats Fight to Stop Trump's Latest Attack on the ACA as Republicans Cause Health Care Costs to Soar
September 29, 2026
Washington, D.C. -- Today, Senate Democrats are moving to block a Trump administration rule that would strip Affordable Care Act (ACA) coverage from millions more people and make health care even more expensive. The rule is the latest in a series of attacks on the ACA, coming after Trump and Republicans ripped away health care tax credits that millions relied on to see their doctor. Now, ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, Sept. 30 -- Protect Our Care issued the following news: * * * STATEMENT: Democrats Fight to Stop Trump's Latest Attack on the ACA as Republicans Cause Health Care Costs to Soar September 29, 2026 Washington, D.C. -- Today, Senate Democrats are moving to block a Trump administration rule that would strip Affordable Care Act (ACA) coverage from millions more people and make health care even more expensive. The rule is the latest in a series of attacks on the ACA, coming after Trump and Republicans ripped away health care tax credits that millions relied on to see their doctor. Now,Democrats are fighting back to stop the administration from piling even more costs and red tape onto families already struggling to afford health care.
Protect Our Care Chair Leslie Dach released the following statement:
"Trump and Republicans have plunged working families into a health care crisis, and they are determined to make things worse. Time and time again, the GOP has put American families last on their priority list. Instead of helping families afford the lifesaving care they need, Republicans ransacked $1 trillion from health care to fund tax breaks for their billionaire buddies and ripped away the tax credits that millions of Americans relied on just to see a doctor. Now the Trump administration has designed a rule that would undermine the ACA and jack up prices even higher, giving Republicans a clear choice: stand with Democrats to put a stop to the sabotage, or make things even worse for families across the nation."
Background
* Sabotage Alert: New Trump Rule Will Hike Costs Even More as Americans Are Already Grappling With GOP Health Care Crisis (https://www.protectourcare.org/sabotage-alert-new-trump-rule-will-hike-costs-even-more-as-americans-are-already-grappling-with-gop-health-care-crisis/)
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Original text here: https://www.protectourcare.org/statement-democrats-fight-to-stop-trumps-latest-attack-on-the-aca-as-republicans-cause-health-care-costs-to-soar/
[Category: Health Care]
* * *
STATEMENT: Democrats Fight to Stop Trump's Latest Attack on the ACA as Republicans Cause Health Care Costs to Soar
September 29, 2026
Washington, D.C. -- Today, Senate Democrats are moving to block a Trump administration rule that would strip Affordable Care Act (ACA) coverage from millions more people and make health care even more expensive. The rule is the latest in a series of attacks on the ACA, coming after Trump and Republicans ripped away health care tax credits that millions relied on to see their doctor. Now, ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, Sept. 30 -- Protect Our Care issued the following news: * * * STATEMENT: Democrats Fight to Stop Trump's Latest Attack on the ACA as Republicans Cause Health Care Costs to Soar September 29, 2026 Washington, D.C. -- Today, Senate Democrats are moving to block a Trump administration rule that would strip Affordable Care Act (ACA) coverage from millions more people and make health care even more expensive. The rule is the latest in a series of attacks on the ACA, coming after Trump and Republicans ripped away health care tax credits that millions relied on to see their doctor. Now,Democrats are fighting back to stop the administration from piling even more costs and red tape onto families already struggling to afford health care.
Protect Our Care Chair Leslie Dach released the following statement:
"Trump and Republicans have plunged working families into a health care crisis, and they are determined to make things worse. Time and time again, the GOP has put American families last on their priority list. Instead of helping families afford the lifesaving care they need, Republicans ransacked $1 trillion from health care to fund tax breaks for their billionaire buddies and ripped away the tax credits that millions of Americans relied on just to see a doctor. Now the Trump administration has designed a rule that would undermine the ACA and jack up prices even higher, giving Republicans a clear choice: stand with Democrats to put a stop to the sabotage, or make things even worse for families across the nation."
Background
* Sabotage Alert: New Trump Rule Will Hike Costs Even More as Americans Are Already Grappling With GOP Health Care Crisis (https://www.protectourcare.org/sabotage-alert-new-trump-rule-will-hike-costs-even-more-as-americans-are-already-grappling-with-gop-health-care-crisis/)
* * *
Original text here: https://www.protectourcare.org/statement-democrats-fight-to-stop-trumps-latest-attack-on-the-aca-as-republicans-cause-health-care-costs-to-soar/
[Category: Health Care]
Natural Resources Defense Council: California Governor Signs New Bill Into Law to Protect California Coastline
NEW YORK, Sept. 30 -- The Natural Resources Defense Council issued the following news release:
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California Governor Signs New Bill into Law to Protect California Coastline
AB 1448 prohibits new state oil & gas leases and blocks the use of existing state infrastructure
September 29, 2026
SACRAMENTO - Today, Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 1448 by Assembly Member Hart into law to protect California's coastline from federal offshore oil and gas drilling.
Following is a statement from Taryn Kiekow Heimer, Director of Ocean Energy with NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council):
"AB 1448 establishes ... Show Full Article NEW YORK, Sept. 30 -- The Natural Resources Defense Council issued the following news release: * * * California Governor Signs New Bill into Law to Protect California Coastline AB 1448 prohibits new state oil & gas leases and blocks the use of existing state infrastructure September 29, 2026 SACRAMENTO - Today, Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 1448 by Assembly Member Hart into law to protect California's coastline from federal offshore oil and gas drilling. Following is a statement from Taryn Kiekow Heimer, Director of Ocean Energy with NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council): "AB 1448 establishesa critical barrier against new offshore oil and gas drilling in federal waters, protecting California's coast, communities and marine ecosystems by prohibiting new state leases and blocking the use of existing state infrastructure to support this destructive development. It also imposes stronger public oversight and rigorous safety requirements before existing leases or permits can be altered.
"These safeguards are imperative as the Trump administration is pushing to reopen our coast to dirty offshore drilling."
Background:
The Trump administration is proposing to open federal waters off of California to new lease sales for the first time in more than 40 years, breathing new life into aging, corroded infrastructure and putting wildlife, coastal communities, and California's economy directly in the path of another catastrophic oil spill.
California has already suffered the devastating consequences of offshore oil production. The 1969 Santa Barbara, 2015 Refugio Beach, and 2021 Huntington Beach spills unleashed millions of gallons of crude oil--shutting down fisheries, ravaging protected habitats, and imposing hundreds of millions of dollars in cleanup costs and economic losses. These disasters make the choice unmistakable: dirty energy should be phased out not recklessly revived.
California's coast is a national treasure and economic engine. Our coast supports public health, recreation, tourism, fishing, wildlife, cultural resources, and a coastal economy valued at roughly $51 billion--the second largest coastal economy in the nation which generated $662 billion in wages and $1.7 trillion in GDP. California's coastal economy should be protected, not plundered.
A Public Policy Institute of California poll released last July found that 93% of Californians say healthy oceans and beaches are vital to the state's economy and quality of life. Clean beaches and a thriving ocean are not luxuries--they are irreplaceable economic assets. Californians overwhelmingly demand a clean coast, a stable climate, and healthy communities.
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NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council) is an international nonprofit environmental organization with more than 3 million members and online activists. Established in 1970, NRDC uses science, policy, law and people power to confront the climate crisis, protect public health and safeguard nature. NRDC has offices in New York City, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Beijing and Delhi (an office of NRDC India Pvt. Ltd).
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Original text here: https://www.nrdc.org/press-releases/california-governor-signs-new-bill-law-protect-california-coastline
[Category: Environment]
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California Governor Signs New Bill into Law to Protect California Coastline
AB 1448 prohibits new state oil & gas leases and blocks the use of existing state infrastructure
September 29, 2026
SACRAMENTO - Today, Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 1448 by Assembly Member Hart into law to protect California's coastline from federal offshore oil and gas drilling.
Following is a statement from Taryn Kiekow Heimer, Director of Ocean Energy with NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council):
"AB 1448 establishes ... Show Full Article NEW YORK, Sept. 30 -- The Natural Resources Defense Council issued the following news release: * * * California Governor Signs New Bill into Law to Protect California Coastline AB 1448 prohibits new state oil & gas leases and blocks the use of existing state infrastructure September 29, 2026 SACRAMENTO - Today, Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 1448 by Assembly Member Hart into law to protect California's coastline from federal offshore oil and gas drilling. Following is a statement from Taryn Kiekow Heimer, Director of Ocean Energy with NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council): "AB 1448 establishesa critical barrier against new offshore oil and gas drilling in federal waters, protecting California's coast, communities and marine ecosystems by prohibiting new state leases and blocking the use of existing state infrastructure to support this destructive development. It also imposes stronger public oversight and rigorous safety requirements before existing leases or permits can be altered.
"These safeguards are imperative as the Trump administration is pushing to reopen our coast to dirty offshore drilling."
Background:
The Trump administration is proposing to open federal waters off of California to new lease sales for the first time in more than 40 years, breathing new life into aging, corroded infrastructure and putting wildlife, coastal communities, and California's economy directly in the path of another catastrophic oil spill.
California has already suffered the devastating consequences of offshore oil production. The 1969 Santa Barbara, 2015 Refugio Beach, and 2021 Huntington Beach spills unleashed millions of gallons of crude oil--shutting down fisheries, ravaging protected habitats, and imposing hundreds of millions of dollars in cleanup costs and economic losses. These disasters make the choice unmistakable: dirty energy should be phased out not recklessly revived.
California's coast is a national treasure and economic engine. Our coast supports public health, recreation, tourism, fishing, wildlife, cultural resources, and a coastal economy valued at roughly $51 billion--the second largest coastal economy in the nation which generated $662 billion in wages and $1.7 trillion in GDP. California's coastal economy should be protected, not plundered.
A Public Policy Institute of California poll released last July found that 93% of Californians say healthy oceans and beaches are vital to the state's economy and quality of life. Clean beaches and a thriving ocean are not luxuries--they are irreplaceable economic assets. Californians overwhelmingly demand a clean coast, a stable climate, and healthy communities.
* * *
NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council) is an international nonprofit environmental organization with more than 3 million members and online activists. Established in 1970, NRDC uses science, policy, law and people power to confront the climate crisis, protect public health and safeguard nature. NRDC has offices in New York City, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Beijing and Delhi (an office of NRDC India Pvt. Ltd).
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Original text here: https://www.nrdc.org/press-releases/california-governor-signs-new-bill-law-protect-california-coastline
[Category: Environment]
Groups Thank Congressional Great Lakes Task Force For Efforts to Restart Brandon Road Construction
CHICAGO, Illinois, Sept. 30 -- The Alliance for the Great Lakes issued the following news release:
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Groups Thank Congressional Great Lakes Task Force For Efforts to Restart Brandon Road Construction
September 29, 2026
Today, the Alliance for the Great Lakes, along with more than 20 other Great Lakes organizations, thanked members of the Congressional Great Lakes Task Force for their efforts to ensure construction on the Brandon Road Interbasin Project restarted earlier this month. The project, a critical set of barriers to stop invasive carp from entering the Great Lakes, had been halted ... Show Full Article CHICAGO, Illinois, Sept. 30 -- The Alliance for the Great Lakes issued the following news release: * * * Groups Thank Congressional Great Lakes Task Force For Efforts to Restart Brandon Road Construction September 29, 2026 Today, the Alliance for the Great Lakes, along with more than 20 other Great Lakes organizations, thanked members of the Congressional Great Lakes Task Force for their efforts to ensure construction on the Brandon Road Interbasin Project restarted earlier this month. The project, a critical set of barriers to stop invasive carp from entering the Great Lakes, had been haltedby the US Army Corps of Engineers earlier this summer without warning and with no reason given. The Alliance, along with other Great Lakes organizations and many others from across the basin, came together to call for construction to resume.
The full letter is below:
September 29, 2026
The Honorable Bernie Moreno, Co-Chair, Senate Great Lakes Task Force
The Honorable Gary Peters, Co-Chair, Senate Great Lakes Task Force
The Honorable Debbie Dingell, Co-Chair, House Great Lakes Task Force
The Honorable Bill Huizenga, Co-Chair, House Great Lakes Task Force
The Honorable David Joyce, Co-Chair, House Great Lakes Task Force
The Honorable Marcy Kaptur, Co-Chair, House Great Lakes Task Force
Dear Chair Moreno, Chair Peters, Chair Dingell, Chair Huizenga, Chair Joyce, Chair Kaptur, and Members of the Great Lakes Task Force,
On behalf of Great Lakes organizations across the region, we are writing to sincerely thank you for your leadership, which was critical to securing the resumption of work at the Brandon Road Interbasin Project.
When construction was abruptly halted, states, organizations, anglers, boaters, skilled construction workers, and numerous fellow Great Lakers across the region came together to speak out and raise the alarm about the serious consequences of further delay. We are grateful for your leadership in urging the Administration and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to resume work on this essential project.
The need for a suite of deterrents to stop the invasive carp from entering the Great Lakes has never been more urgent. The Illinois Department of Natural Resources recently announced that juvenile invasive carp were discovered a mere 80 miles from Lake Michigan, the farthest north since monitoring began in 2010. These findings indicate that a spawning event may have occurred even closer to Lake Michigan, heightening the risk of invasion. This invasive species time bomb is ticking faster, and we cannot be complacent.
The Brandon Road Project is a critical line of defense against invasive carp reaching the Great Lakes and an essential component of a comprehensive effort to protect the region's $5.1 billion fishing and $16 billion recreational boating industries. Continued progress is vital to protecting the region's economy, environment, and way of life.
Your engagement and advocacy helped demonstrate the overwhelming broad, bipartisan support for completing this project. We appreciate your leadership and commitment to ensuring the federal government continues to prioritize protecting the Great Lakes from invasive carp.
Thank you again for lending your voice, your time, and your influence to this effort. The Brandon Road project will require ongoing communication, coordination, and transparency to stay on track. We look forward to continuing to work with you to ensure the project reaches completion without further delay, and the Great Lakes remain protected for generations to come.
Sincerely,
Alliance for the Great Lakes
American Sportfishing Association
Clean Wisconsin
Detroit Zoological Society
Environmental Law & Policy Center
Flow Water Advocates
Friends of the Chicago River
Friends of the Rouge
Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative
Great Lakes Great Responsibility
Illinois Environmental Council
Illinois Division of the Izaak Walton League of America
Indiana Division of the Izaak Walton League of America
Indiana Sportsman Roundtable
International Association for Great Lakes Research (IAGLR)
Legacy Land Conservancy
Marc Gaden, Executive Secretary, Great Lakes Fishery Commission
Michigan Environmental Council
Michigan Lakes and Streams Association
Michigan League of Conservation Voters
Michigan Sustainable Business Forum
Milwaukee Riverkeeper
Muskegon River Watershed
National Museum of the Great Lakes
National Parks Conservation Association
National Wildlife Federation
Northeast-Midwest Institute
Religious Coalition for the Great Lakes
Save the Dunes
Save The River(R), Upper St. Lawrence Riverkeeper
Shedd Aquarium
Talking Rivers
Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council
Wisconsin Council of Trout Unlimited
Cc: Members of the House Great Lakes Task Force
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Original text here: https://greatlakes.org/2026/09/groups-thank-congressional-great-lakes-task-force-for-efforts-to-restart-brandon-road-construction/
[Category: Environment]
* * *
Groups Thank Congressional Great Lakes Task Force For Efforts to Restart Brandon Road Construction
September 29, 2026
Today, the Alliance for the Great Lakes, along with more than 20 other Great Lakes organizations, thanked members of the Congressional Great Lakes Task Force for their efforts to ensure construction on the Brandon Road Interbasin Project restarted earlier this month. The project, a critical set of barriers to stop invasive carp from entering the Great Lakes, had been halted ... Show Full Article CHICAGO, Illinois, Sept. 30 -- The Alliance for the Great Lakes issued the following news release: * * * Groups Thank Congressional Great Lakes Task Force For Efforts to Restart Brandon Road Construction September 29, 2026 Today, the Alliance for the Great Lakes, along with more than 20 other Great Lakes organizations, thanked members of the Congressional Great Lakes Task Force for their efforts to ensure construction on the Brandon Road Interbasin Project restarted earlier this month. The project, a critical set of barriers to stop invasive carp from entering the Great Lakes, had been haltedby the US Army Corps of Engineers earlier this summer without warning and with no reason given. The Alliance, along with other Great Lakes organizations and many others from across the basin, came together to call for construction to resume.
The full letter is below:
September 29, 2026
The Honorable Bernie Moreno, Co-Chair, Senate Great Lakes Task Force
The Honorable Gary Peters, Co-Chair, Senate Great Lakes Task Force
The Honorable Debbie Dingell, Co-Chair, House Great Lakes Task Force
The Honorable Bill Huizenga, Co-Chair, House Great Lakes Task Force
The Honorable David Joyce, Co-Chair, House Great Lakes Task Force
The Honorable Marcy Kaptur, Co-Chair, House Great Lakes Task Force
Dear Chair Moreno, Chair Peters, Chair Dingell, Chair Huizenga, Chair Joyce, Chair Kaptur, and Members of the Great Lakes Task Force,
On behalf of Great Lakes organizations across the region, we are writing to sincerely thank you for your leadership, which was critical to securing the resumption of work at the Brandon Road Interbasin Project.
When construction was abruptly halted, states, organizations, anglers, boaters, skilled construction workers, and numerous fellow Great Lakers across the region came together to speak out and raise the alarm about the serious consequences of further delay. We are grateful for your leadership in urging the Administration and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to resume work on this essential project.
The need for a suite of deterrents to stop the invasive carp from entering the Great Lakes has never been more urgent. The Illinois Department of Natural Resources recently announced that juvenile invasive carp were discovered a mere 80 miles from Lake Michigan, the farthest north since monitoring began in 2010. These findings indicate that a spawning event may have occurred even closer to Lake Michigan, heightening the risk of invasion. This invasive species time bomb is ticking faster, and we cannot be complacent.
The Brandon Road Project is a critical line of defense against invasive carp reaching the Great Lakes and an essential component of a comprehensive effort to protect the region's $5.1 billion fishing and $16 billion recreational boating industries. Continued progress is vital to protecting the region's economy, environment, and way of life.
Your engagement and advocacy helped demonstrate the overwhelming broad, bipartisan support for completing this project. We appreciate your leadership and commitment to ensuring the federal government continues to prioritize protecting the Great Lakes from invasive carp.
Thank you again for lending your voice, your time, and your influence to this effort. The Brandon Road project will require ongoing communication, coordination, and transparency to stay on track. We look forward to continuing to work with you to ensure the project reaches completion without further delay, and the Great Lakes remain protected for generations to come.
Sincerely,
Alliance for the Great Lakes
American Sportfishing Association
Clean Wisconsin
Detroit Zoological Society
Environmental Law & Policy Center
Flow Water Advocates
Friends of the Chicago River
Friends of the Rouge
Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative
Great Lakes Great Responsibility
Illinois Environmental Council
Illinois Division of the Izaak Walton League of America
Indiana Division of the Izaak Walton League of America
Indiana Sportsman Roundtable
International Association for Great Lakes Research (IAGLR)
Legacy Land Conservancy
Marc Gaden, Executive Secretary, Great Lakes Fishery Commission
Michigan Environmental Council
Michigan Lakes and Streams Association
Michigan League of Conservation Voters
Michigan Sustainable Business Forum
Milwaukee Riverkeeper
Muskegon River Watershed
National Museum of the Great Lakes
National Parks Conservation Association
National Wildlife Federation
Northeast-Midwest Institute
Religious Coalition for the Great Lakes
Save the Dunes
Save The River(R), Upper St. Lawrence Riverkeeper
Shedd Aquarium
Talking Rivers
Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council
Wisconsin Council of Trout Unlimited
Cc: Members of the House Great Lakes Task Force
* * *
Original text here: https://greatlakes.org/2026/09/groups-thank-congressional-great-lakes-task-force-for-efforts-to-restart-brandon-road-construction/
[Category: Environment]
FFRF Action Fund Condemns Senate Push to Promote Religious Education
MADISON, Wisconsin, Sept. 30 -- FFRF Action Fund, an organization that says it develops and advocates for legislation, regulations and government programs to preserve the constitutional principle of separation between state and church, posted the following news:
* * *
FFRF Action Fund condemns Senate push to promote religious education
September 29, 2026
The FFRF Action Fund is decrying a senatorial resolution that promotes religious instruction and urges states to aid programs yanking public school students from class for religious education.
Sen. Darline Graham, R-S.C., has introduced Senate ... Show Full Article MADISON, Wisconsin, Sept. 30 -- FFRF Action Fund, an organization that says it develops and advocates for legislation, regulations and government programs to preserve the constitutional principle of separation between state and church, posted the following news: * * * FFRF Action Fund condemns Senate push to promote religious education September 29, 2026 The FFRF Action Fund is decrying a senatorial resolution that promotes religious instruction and urges states to aid programs yanking public school students from class for religious education. Sen. Darline Graham, R-S.C., has introduced SenateResolution 891, which would designate Sept. 27 through Oct. 3 as "Religious Education Week." The resolution has 28 co-sponsors, including Sens. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., Josh Hawley, R-Mo., Mike Lee, R-Utah, and James Lankford, R-Okla. It was introduced Sept. 23 and referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Tuberville made the sectarian notions behind the effort clear while promoting the resolution with a statement suffused in Christian nationalist disinformation.
"As Republicans, we believe that parents, not the government, should be in charge of a child's education," said Tuberville. "Our country was founded on Christian values, and private religious schools are a great option for many Alabamians. There's a myth out there that our Founders wanted to keep God out of the public square. That just isn't true. This country was built on love of God, love of country and love of family."
The resolution goes well beyond merely recognizing the constitutional right of parents to provide their children with a religious education. It declares religious education important to the "civic and moral development" of Americans, celebrates organizations engaged in religious instruction and calls on all 50 states, U.S. territories and the District of Columbia to accommodate students who leave public school during the school day to attend religious classes.
The FFRF Action Fund strongly disagrees with this perspective.
"Our government, based on a godless, entirely secular Constitution, has no business declaring that religion is necessary for children to develop morally or civically," says Action Fund President Annie Laurie Gaylor. "Tens of millions of Americans live ethical, meaningful lives without religion. Senators should be defending every American's freedom of conscience, not using Congress to place a governmental stamp of approval on religious instruction."
The resolution also explicitly promotes released-time religious instruction. Such programs allow public school students to leave school for off-campus religious instruction. While the Supreme Court upheld a particular released-time arrangement in Zorach v. Clauson in 1952, that does not require lawmakers to promote such programs or treat religious instruction as an essential component of a child's education. Released-time programs have expanded significantly in recent years, raising concerns about the diversion of students from the public school day and the degree to which public schools may become entangled with outside religious organizations.
The Action Fund has developed a toolkit to help advocates respond to the rapid expansion of programs such as LifeWise Academy, an evangelical organization whose stated goal is to "take the Gospel to students in America's public schools." The Action Fund supports school boards that reject such programs or impose strong safeguards to protect students and preserve instructional time.
Parents already are free to provide their children with religious education, including sending children to private religious schools, taking them to houses of worship, and teaching their faith at home. None of those freedoms requires Congress to declare religious education uniquely valuable to morality or civic development.
The resolution's sweeping claims about religion and morality are particularly troubling. Religion does not have a monopoly on moral development, and religious belief is not a prerequisite for raising thoughtful, compassionate and responsible citizens. Nearly three in 10 U.S. adults now identify as religiously unaffiliated, making governmental rhetoric that equates religion with morality hostile to many Americans.
Religious liberty is best protected when the government remains neutral toward religion. Congress should neither obstruct private religious education nor use the prestige of the federal government to promote it.
The FFRF Action Fund urges senators to reject Senate Resolution 891 and instead uphold the fundamental principle of separation between religion and government -- leaving matters of religion to individuals and families, not the government.
* * *
FFRF Action Fund is a 501(c)(4) organization that develops and advocates for legislation, regulations and government programs to preserve the constitutional principle of separation between state and church. It also advocates for the rights and views of nonbelievers, endorses candidates for political office, and publicizes the views of elected officials concerning religious liberty issues.
* * *
Original text here: https://ffrfaction.org/ffrf-action-fund-condemns-senate-push-to-promote-religious-education/
[Category: Sociological]
* * *
FFRF Action Fund condemns Senate push to promote religious education
September 29, 2026
The FFRF Action Fund is decrying a senatorial resolution that promotes religious instruction and urges states to aid programs yanking public school students from class for religious education.
Sen. Darline Graham, R-S.C., has introduced Senate ... Show Full Article MADISON, Wisconsin, Sept. 30 -- FFRF Action Fund, an organization that says it develops and advocates for legislation, regulations and government programs to preserve the constitutional principle of separation between state and church, posted the following news: * * * FFRF Action Fund condemns Senate push to promote religious education September 29, 2026 The FFRF Action Fund is decrying a senatorial resolution that promotes religious instruction and urges states to aid programs yanking public school students from class for religious education. Sen. Darline Graham, R-S.C., has introduced SenateResolution 891, which would designate Sept. 27 through Oct. 3 as "Religious Education Week." The resolution has 28 co-sponsors, including Sens. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., Josh Hawley, R-Mo., Mike Lee, R-Utah, and James Lankford, R-Okla. It was introduced Sept. 23 and referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Tuberville made the sectarian notions behind the effort clear while promoting the resolution with a statement suffused in Christian nationalist disinformation.
"As Republicans, we believe that parents, not the government, should be in charge of a child's education," said Tuberville. "Our country was founded on Christian values, and private religious schools are a great option for many Alabamians. There's a myth out there that our Founders wanted to keep God out of the public square. That just isn't true. This country was built on love of God, love of country and love of family."
The resolution goes well beyond merely recognizing the constitutional right of parents to provide their children with a religious education. It declares religious education important to the "civic and moral development" of Americans, celebrates organizations engaged in religious instruction and calls on all 50 states, U.S. territories and the District of Columbia to accommodate students who leave public school during the school day to attend religious classes.
The FFRF Action Fund strongly disagrees with this perspective.
"Our government, based on a godless, entirely secular Constitution, has no business declaring that religion is necessary for children to develop morally or civically," says Action Fund President Annie Laurie Gaylor. "Tens of millions of Americans live ethical, meaningful lives without religion. Senators should be defending every American's freedom of conscience, not using Congress to place a governmental stamp of approval on religious instruction."
The resolution also explicitly promotes released-time religious instruction. Such programs allow public school students to leave school for off-campus religious instruction. While the Supreme Court upheld a particular released-time arrangement in Zorach v. Clauson in 1952, that does not require lawmakers to promote such programs or treat religious instruction as an essential component of a child's education. Released-time programs have expanded significantly in recent years, raising concerns about the diversion of students from the public school day and the degree to which public schools may become entangled with outside religious organizations.
The Action Fund has developed a toolkit to help advocates respond to the rapid expansion of programs such as LifeWise Academy, an evangelical organization whose stated goal is to "take the Gospel to students in America's public schools." The Action Fund supports school boards that reject such programs or impose strong safeguards to protect students and preserve instructional time.
Parents already are free to provide their children with religious education, including sending children to private religious schools, taking them to houses of worship, and teaching their faith at home. None of those freedoms requires Congress to declare religious education uniquely valuable to morality or civic development.
The resolution's sweeping claims about religion and morality are particularly troubling. Religion does not have a monopoly on moral development, and religious belief is not a prerequisite for raising thoughtful, compassionate and responsible citizens. Nearly three in 10 U.S. adults now identify as religiously unaffiliated, making governmental rhetoric that equates religion with morality hostile to many Americans.
Religious liberty is best protected when the government remains neutral toward religion. Congress should neither obstruct private religious education nor use the prestige of the federal government to promote it.
The FFRF Action Fund urges senators to reject Senate Resolution 891 and instead uphold the fundamental principle of separation between religion and government -- leaving matters of religion to individuals and families, not the government.
* * *
FFRF Action Fund is a 501(c)(4) organization that develops and advocates for legislation, regulations and government programs to preserve the constitutional principle of separation between state and church. It also advocates for the rights and views of nonbelievers, endorses candidates for political office, and publicizes the views of elected officials concerning religious liberty issues.
* * *
Original text here: https://ffrfaction.org/ffrf-action-fund-condemns-senate-push-to-promote-religious-education/
[Category: Sociological]
Democracy Forward: Court Rules in Favor of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Survivors, Protecting Crucial Grants to Support Victims of Violence Nationwide
WASHINGTON, Sept. 30 -- Democracy Forward, an organization that says it advances democracy and social progress through litigation, policy and public education and regulatory engagement, issued the following news release:
* * *
Court Rules in Favor of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Survivors, Protecting Crucial Grants to Support Victims of Violence Nationwide
Final Ruling Follows Series of Court Orders Blocking Unlawful Administration Attempt to Weaponize Violence Prevention Funding
September 29, 2026
Providence, R.I. - A judge on the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, Sept. 30 -- Democracy Forward, an organization that says it advances democracy and social progress through litigation, policy and public education and regulatory engagement, issued the following news release: * * * Court Rules in Favor of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Survivors, Protecting Crucial Grants to Support Victims of Violence Nationwide Final Ruling Follows Series of Court Orders Blocking Unlawful Administration Attempt to Weaponize Violence Prevention Funding September 29, 2026 Providence, R.I. - A judge on the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Islandhas ruled in favor of state domestic violence and sexual assault coalitions and providers, successfully ending a lawsuit brought by the coalition that has blocked the administration's unlawful conditions on federal funding for programs administered by the U.S. Department of Justice's (DOJ) Office on Violence Against Women and Office of Justice Programs.
The summary judgment order resolves Rhode Island Coalition Against Domestic Violence, et al. v. Blanche -- a case filed in June 2025 by state domestic violence and sexual assault coalitions and providers. The case challenged DOJ's efforts to target grantees that implement diversity, equity, and inclusion programs; serve immigrants; recognize and respect people regardless of gender identity; and acknowledge systemic causes of abuse, among other things.
The court first issued an order in the case in August 2025, blocking those unlawful restrictions, which would have made it impossible for many grantees to operate legally or effectively. DOJ then imposed additional conditions on grant funding administered by the Office of Justice Programs and the Office for Victims of Crime. Those new, unlawful, and potentially devastating additional conditions included restrictions that would have prevented providers from serving certain noncitizen survivors and others who couldn't immediately prove their citizenship, prompting an amended complaint, which also earned intervention from the court. Today's order invalidates the unlawful conditions that DOJ attempted to impose.
The coalition released the following statement in response to today's order.
"We are relieved to see this summary judgment order from the court and that our case has successfully stopped an unlawful and unconscionable attack on vital federal funding for survivors of domestic and sexual violence. These grants help sustain shelters, crisis response services, legal assistance, and coordinated community efforts that survivors rely on in moments of profound danger. We are grateful that this ruling means that this critical funding will not be unlawfully restricted."
The coalition behind the lawsuit includes the California Partnership to End Domestic Violence; Colorado Coalition Against Sexual Assault; District of Columbia Coalition Against Domestic Violence; End Domestic Abuse Wisconsin: The Wisconsin Coalition Against Domestic Violence; Georgia Coalition Against Domestic Violence; Hawaii State Coalition Against Domestic Violence; Idaho Coalition Against Sexual and Domestic Violence; Indiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence; Iowa Coalition Against Domestic Violence; Jane Doe Inc. (The Massachusetts Coalition Against Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence); Kansas Coalition Against Sexual and Domestic Violence; Maine Coalition to End Domestic Violence; Maryland Network Against Domestic Violence; Montana Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence; New Jersey Coalition to End Domestic Violence; North Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence; Oregon Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence; Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence; Rhode Island Coalition Against Domestic Violence; ValorUS; Vermont Network Against Domestic and Sexual Violence; Violence Free Minnesota; Virginia Sexual and Domestic Violence Action Alliance; Washington State Coalition Against Domestic Violence; and Wisconsin Coalition Against Sexual Assault.
Plaintiffs are represented by Kristin Bateman and Robin Thurston with Democracy Forward, Lynn Eisenberg, Dan Jacobson, Nina Cahill, and Brian Rosen-Shaud with Jacobson Lawyers Group; Amy Romero for the Lawyers' Committee for Rhode Island; Lynette Labinger for the ACLU of Rhode Island; and Lauren Khouri and Elizabeth Theran with the National Women's Law Center.
Read today's summary judgment order here (https://democracyforward.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/78-SJ-Order.pdf).
* * *
Democracy Forward is a national legal organization that advances democracy and social progress through litigation, policy, public education, and regulatory engagement. For more information, please visit www.democracyforward.org.
* * *
Original text here: https://democracyforward.org/news/press-releases/court-rules-in-favor-of-domestic-violence-and-sexual-assault-survivors-protecting-crucial-grants-to-support-victims-of-violence-nationwide/
[Category: Political]
* * *
Court Rules in Favor of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Survivors, Protecting Crucial Grants to Support Victims of Violence Nationwide
Final Ruling Follows Series of Court Orders Blocking Unlawful Administration Attempt to Weaponize Violence Prevention Funding
September 29, 2026
Providence, R.I. - A judge on the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, Sept. 30 -- Democracy Forward, an organization that says it advances democracy and social progress through litigation, policy and public education and regulatory engagement, issued the following news release: * * * Court Rules in Favor of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Survivors, Protecting Crucial Grants to Support Victims of Violence Nationwide Final Ruling Follows Series of Court Orders Blocking Unlawful Administration Attempt to Weaponize Violence Prevention Funding September 29, 2026 Providence, R.I. - A judge on the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Islandhas ruled in favor of state domestic violence and sexual assault coalitions and providers, successfully ending a lawsuit brought by the coalition that has blocked the administration's unlawful conditions on federal funding for programs administered by the U.S. Department of Justice's (DOJ) Office on Violence Against Women and Office of Justice Programs.
The summary judgment order resolves Rhode Island Coalition Against Domestic Violence, et al. v. Blanche -- a case filed in June 2025 by state domestic violence and sexual assault coalitions and providers. The case challenged DOJ's efforts to target grantees that implement diversity, equity, and inclusion programs; serve immigrants; recognize and respect people regardless of gender identity; and acknowledge systemic causes of abuse, among other things.
The court first issued an order in the case in August 2025, blocking those unlawful restrictions, which would have made it impossible for many grantees to operate legally or effectively. DOJ then imposed additional conditions on grant funding administered by the Office of Justice Programs and the Office for Victims of Crime. Those new, unlawful, and potentially devastating additional conditions included restrictions that would have prevented providers from serving certain noncitizen survivors and others who couldn't immediately prove their citizenship, prompting an amended complaint, which also earned intervention from the court. Today's order invalidates the unlawful conditions that DOJ attempted to impose.
The coalition released the following statement in response to today's order.
"We are relieved to see this summary judgment order from the court and that our case has successfully stopped an unlawful and unconscionable attack on vital federal funding for survivors of domestic and sexual violence. These grants help sustain shelters, crisis response services, legal assistance, and coordinated community efforts that survivors rely on in moments of profound danger. We are grateful that this ruling means that this critical funding will not be unlawfully restricted."
The coalition behind the lawsuit includes the California Partnership to End Domestic Violence; Colorado Coalition Against Sexual Assault; District of Columbia Coalition Against Domestic Violence; End Domestic Abuse Wisconsin: The Wisconsin Coalition Against Domestic Violence; Georgia Coalition Against Domestic Violence; Hawaii State Coalition Against Domestic Violence; Idaho Coalition Against Sexual and Domestic Violence; Indiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence; Iowa Coalition Against Domestic Violence; Jane Doe Inc. (The Massachusetts Coalition Against Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence); Kansas Coalition Against Sexual and Domestic Violence; Maine Coalition to End Domestic Violence; Maryland Network Against Domestic Violence; Montana Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence; New Jersey Coalition to End Domestic Violence; North Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence; Oregon Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence; Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence; Rhode Island Coalition Against Domestic Violence; ValorUS; Vermont Network Against Domestic and Sexual Violence; Violence Free Minnesota; Virginia Sexual and Domestic Violence Action Alliance; Washington State Coalition Against Domestic Violence; and Wisconsin Coalition Against Sexual Assault.
Plaintiffs are represented by Kristin Bateman and Robin Thurston with Democracy Forward, Lynn Eisenberg, Dan Jacobson, Nina Cahill, and Brian Rosen-Shaud with Jacobson Lawyers Group; Amy Romero for the Lawyers' Committee for Rhode Island; Lynette Labinger for the ACLU of Rhode Island; and Lauren Khouri and Elizabeth Theran with the National Women's Law Center.
Read today's summary judgment order here (https://democracyforward.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/78-SJ-Order.pdf).
* * *
Democracy Forward is a national legal organization that advances democracy and social progress through litigation, policy, public education, and regulatory engagement. For more information, please visit www.democracyforward.org.
* * *
Original text here: https://democracyforward.org/news/press-releases/court-rules-in-favor-of-domestic-violence-and-sexual-assault-survivors-protecting-crucial-grants-to-support-victims-of-violence-nationwide/
[Category: Political]
Children's Health Defense Issues Commentary: Vaccinated Kids Have Significantly Higher Odds of Developing Multiple Chronic Health Conditions
FRANKLIN LAKES, New Jersey, Sept. 30 -- Children's Health Defense, an organization that says it restores and protects the health of children by eliminating exposures to environmental toxins, issued the following commentary by Michael Nevradakis, senior reporter for The Defender and host of the Defender In-Depth on CHD.TV.:
* * *
Vaccinated Kids Have Significantly Higher Odds of Developing Multiple Chronic Health Conditions
"Children were 60% more likely to suffer recurrent respiratory disease with at least double the risk of recurrent ear and strep infections," said Children's Health Defense ... Show Full Article FRANKLIN LAKES, New Jersey, Sept. 30 -- Children's Health Defense, an organization that says it restores and protects the health of children by eliminating exposures to environmental toxins, issued the following commentary by Michael Nevradakis, senior reporter for The Defender and host of the Defender In-Depth on CHD.TV.: * * * Vaccinated Kids Have Significantly Higher Odds of Developing Multiple Chronic Health Conditions "Children were 60% more likely to suffer recurrent respiratory disease with at least double the risk of recurrent ear and strep infections," said Children's Health DefenseChief Scientific Officer Brian Hooker, co-author of a new preprint study published last week. "In general, the risk increased in the vaccinated group based on increasing number of vaccines."
September 29, 2026
Early childhood vaccination is associated with significantly higher odds of multiple acute and chronic health conditions in children, according to a new study comparing the health outcomes of vaccinated and unvaccinated children.
The study, published last week on the preprint server Zenodo, is co-authored by members of the Children's Health Defense (CHD) Science Department.
Brian Hooker, Ph.D., CHD's chief scientific officer and co-author, said the study -- which involved the "largest collection of unvaccinated children studied in this context" -- found the health outcomes of unvaccinated kids surpassed those of vaccinated children across multiple measures.
"Children were 60% more likely to suffer recurrent respiratory disease with at least double the risk of recurrent ear and strep infections," Hooker said. "In general, the risk increased in the vaccinated group based on increasing number of vaccines."
The study's key findings include:
* Vaccination before 13 months was linked to "significantly elevated odds" of strep throat (130% higher odds), ear infection (100%), rhinitis (80%) and respiratory disease (60%) compared to unvaccinated children.
* Strep infection showed "a clear dose-response gradient" -- with odds of contracting the condition rising by as much as 240% as the number of vaccine doses the children received increased.
* Developmental delay did not increase significantly in the overall cohort, but "was significantly elevated in the highest vaccine quartile," which received over 10 vaccine doses. Members of this group had 40% higher odds of experiencing developmental delay.
Medical researcher Neil Z. Miller, who was not involved with the study, said its findings contribute to growing evidence suggesting that "unvaccinated children may experience better health outcomes than vaccinated children. He said the study's findings also "provide important signals that warrant further investigation."
Study examined over 6,000 children -- including 3,825 unvaccinated kids
The study examined the records of 6,239 children -- including 3,825 who were unvaccinated -- from eight pediatric practices.
The researchers examined the children's health outcomes based on the vaccines they received during their first year of life.
They looked at nine clinical conditions, tracking one-time diagnoses for developmental delay, rhinitis, abnormal breathing, nausea and vomiting, and recurring diagnoses -- defined as three separate diagnoses over a 12-month period -- for respiratory disease, strep throat, ear infection, skin rash and fever.
The children were divided into two groups: unvaccinated and vaccinated, defined as having received "at least one vaccine before 13 months" -- a period during which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends at least 18 vaccine doses.
The study also recorded the number of shots each child received.
Higher vaccination linked to higher odds of onset of multiple conditions
According to the researchers, several of the study's findings are significant -- and provide evidence that vaccination may lead to risk factors for future chronic illnesses.
For example, vaccinated kids had more than double the odds of developing recurrent strep throat, "a finding with clinical significance given the need for repeated antibiotic treatment and the associated risks of antibiotic resistance, microbiome disruption, and rare but serious post-streptococcal sequelae" -- a secondary condition or complication from a prior disease."
The higher risk of ear infection faced by vaccinated children is also "a leading indication for antibiotic use, tympanostomy tube placement, and specialist referral in early childhood."
The higher risk of respiratory disease for vaccinated kids "suggests that vaccinated children experience substantially greater respiratory morbidity than their unvaccinated peers."
However, the findings of the study's dose-response analysis -- which looked at the onset of adverse health conditions in relation to the number of vaccine doses the children received -- provided "compelling evidence" about potential vaccine risks.
The odds of recurrent strep infections were 50% higher in vaccinated children compared with kids who received between one and three vaccine doses, and 240% higher for kids who received between six and nine doses.
For children who received 10 or more vaccine doses, the odds of experiencing recurrent strep throat decreased somewhat compared to kids who received between six and nine doses, dropping to 170%.
According to the study's authors, this "may reflect survivor bias -- where conclusions are drawn from people who survived or remained in a study, while overlooking those participants who may have died or dropped out due to poor health.
Rhinitis showed a similar pattern, with odds of onset ranging from 30% for children who received between one and three doses, to 130% for kids who received between six and nine doses.
Vaccinated girls had 160% higher odds of strep throat compared with unvaccinated girls
The study found that girls were particularly susceptible to some of the conditions studied, including strep throat, which vaccinated girls had 160% higher odds of developing compared to their unvaccinated peers -- representing "the strongest association observed in any sex-stratified analysis" in the study.
"The fact that kids who received at least one vaccine before 13 months were more often coded for several common infectious and respiratory diagnoses suggests an effect on the immune system," said epidemiologist M. Nathaniel Mead, Ph.D., a McCullough Foundation scholar, who was not involved with this study.
Developmental delay wasn't significantly linked with vaccination in the overall study, the analysis identified "significantly elevated odds" (40%) of developing such a condition among children who received between six and nine vaccine doses, compared to unvaccinated kids.
Hooker said these results may indicate the "healthy vaccinee" effect, "where parents of children developing more slowly, especially at younger ages, avoid vaccinations."
The result for the most heavily vaccinated children "appears to be more in line" with past research showing that "higher risk was associated with increasing numbers of vaccines received."
Recurring conditions may be sign of 'innate immune suppression'
Hooker said the study provides several significant findings that expand existing knowledge of vaccine risks and can help inform future research.
A key feature of the study is that it directly compared health outcomes between vaccinated and unvaccinated children, rather than comparing differentially vaccinated groups of kids to each other -- which Hooker said is "a methodological choice that systematically masks vaccine-associated morbidity."
Few studies have previously examined recurring disease in children, or the link between such recurring conditions and vaccination.
"The primary thrust of the study: recurring disease in children has been studied only peripherally in the past, despite strong evidence that vaccines and vaccine components can negatively impact the immune system," Hooker said.
According to Hooker, such recurring conditions may be a sign of "innate immune suppression." He said the study's findings "affirm this evidence as well as the need for additional study to understand the role of vaccines in recurrent infections and the extent that this is harming our population in the U.S."
"The number of vaccine doses administered to infants and young children has increased dramatically since the early 1990s," the study states. Yet, "rigorous long-term safety studies comparing fully vaccinated children to genuine unvaccinated controls remain exceedingly rare."
Hooker said the study "affirms a significant body of literature" regarding the risks of vaccination even for "partially vaccinated children," including a 2011 Institute of Medicine publication finding that there was not enough evidence to accept -- or reject -- a link between vaccines and a range of potential adverse events.
Hooker acknowledged certain methodological limitations of the study -- including the convenience sample based on eight pediatric officers who were "willing to share deidentified medical data" and an inability to consider the timing of the onset of the conditions measured in relation to the administration of vaccine doses.
The study also does not indicate whether any specific childhood vaccines are linked to a higher risk of any of the conditions measured. Hooker said the current vaccination schedule broadly exposes children to "toxic levels of aluminum," which the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has classified as a neurotoxin.
"The current schedule includes significant exposure to toxic levels of aluminum, which we know can travel to multiple organs in the body, including the brain. In addition, live virus exposure via rotavirus, measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) and varicella vaccines occurs throughout the first year of life," Hooker said.
'We need to better understand total health impacts of the current vaccine schedule'
Miller said that the study has some limitations, such as not being able to account for possible confounding variables, such as gestational age and birth weight but that overall, "the findings provide important signals that warrant further investigation."
"Additional studies with larger populations and more robust methodology are needed before firm conclusions can be drawn," Miller said.
Mead said the study is "timely," because the National Institutes of Health (NIH) "recently announced plans for intensifying research on autism's possible causes, without including vaccines as part of that focus."
"Clearly we need to better understand the total health impacts of the current vaccine schedule," Mead said.
Karl Jablonowski, Ph.D., CHD's senior research scientist and one of the study's co-authors, noted that a small group of scientists was able to conduct research that larger institutions, including the federal government, have neglected -- namely, directly comparing vaccinated and unvaccinated children's health outcomes.
"The largest such study was not conducted with millions of taxpayer dollars, HMO data and by decree from the NIH. It was done by a small, unyielding non-profit that had to stitch together medical databases," he said, referring to CHD.
"Something is very wrong with our national priorities, and our children are suffering because of it."
Related articles in The Defender
* Are Routine Childhood Vaccines Deadlier Than the Diseases they Target? (https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/are-routine-childhood-vaccines-deadlier-than-diseases-they-target/)
* Trump Says He Will Demand Drugmakers Split Some Routine Vaccines Into Five Doses (https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/trump-demand-drugmakers-split-some-routine-vaccines-into-five-doses/)
* New Poll: Americans' Trust in MMR Vaccine Fades (https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/new-poll-americans-trust-in-mmr-vaccine-fades/)
* Trump Signs Executive Order Aimed at Reducing Number of Childhood Vaccines (https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/trump-signs-executive-order-reduce-number-childhood-vaccines/)
* Dr. Paul Thomas: Why I Don't Vaccinate Kids -- and What Parents Should Know (https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/dr-paul-thomas-why-dont-vaccinate-kids-parents-should-know/)
* $50 Million NIH Autism Study Ignores Link to Vaccines, CHD Scientist Says (https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/50-million-nih-autism-study-ignores-link-vaccines-chd-scientist-says/)
* * *
Michael Nevradakis, Ph.D., based in Athens, Greece, is a senior reporter for The Defender and host of "The Defender In-Depth" on CHD.TV.
* * *
Original text here: https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/vaccinated-kids-significantly-higher-risk-multiple-chronic-health-conditions-chd-study/
[Category: Health Care]
* * *
Vaccinated Kids Have Significantly Higher Odds of Developing Multiple Chronic Health Conditions
"Children were 60% more likely to suffer recurrent respiratory disease with at least double the risk of recurrent ear and strep infections," said Children's Health Defense ... Show Full Article FRANKLIN LAKES, New Jersey, Sept. 30 -- Children's Health Defense, an organization that says it restores and protects the health of children by eliminating exposures to environmental toxins, issued the following commentary by Michael Nevradakis, senior reporter for The Defender and host of the Defender In-Depth on CHD.TV.: * * * Vaccinated Kids Have Significantly Higher Odds of Developing Multiple Chronic Health Conditions "Children were 60% more likely to suffer recurrent respiratory disease with at least double the risk of recurrent ear and strep infections," said Children's Health DefenseChief Scientific Officer Brian Hooker, co-author of a new preprint study published last week. "In general, the risk increased in the vaccinated group based on increasing number of vaccines."
September 29, 2026
Early childhood vaccination is associated with significantly higher odds of multiple acute and chronic health conditions in children, according to a new study comparing the health outcomes of vaccinated and unvaccinated children.
The study, published last week on the preprint server Zenodo, is co-authored by members of the Children's Health Defense (CHD) Science Department.
Brian Hooker, Ph.D., CHD's chief scientific officer and co-author, said the study -- which involved the "largest collection of unvaccinated children studied in this context" -- found the health outcomes of unvaccinated kids surpassed those of vaccinated children across multiple measures.
"Children were 60% more likely to suffer recurrent respiratory disease with at least double the risk of recurrent ear and strep infections," Hooker said. "In general, the risk increased in the vaccinated group based on increasing number of vaccines."
The study's key findings include:
* Vaccination before 13 months was linked to "significantly elevated odds" of strep throat (130% higher odds), ear infection (100%), rhinitis (80%) and respiratory disease (60%) compared to unvaccinated children.
* Strep infection showed "a clear dose-response gradient" -- with odds of contracting the condition rising by as much as 240% as the number of vaccine doses the children received increased.
* Developmental delay did not increase significantly in the overall cohort, but "was significantly elevated in the highest vaccine quartile," which received over 10 vaccine doses. Members of this group had 40% higher odds of experiencing developmental delay.
Medical researcher Neil Z. Miller, who was not involved with the study, said its findings contribute to growing evidence suggesting that "unvaccinated children may experience better health outcomes than vaccinated children. He said the study's findings also "provide important signals that warrant further investigation."
Study examined over 6,000 children -- including 3,825 unvaccinated kids
The study examined the records of 6,239 children -- including 3,825 who were unvaccinated -- from eight pediatric practices.
The researchers examined the children's health outcomes based on the vaccines they received during their first year of life.
They looked at nine clinical conditions, tracking one-time diagnoses for developmental delay, rhinitis, abnormal breathing, nausea and vomiting, and recurring diagnoses -- defined as three separate diagnoses over a 12-month period -- for respiratory disease, strep throat, ear infection, skin rash and fever.
The children were divided into two groups: unvaccinated and vaccinated, defined as having received "at least one vaccine before 13 months" -- a period during which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends at least 18 vaccine doses.
The study also recorded the number of shots each child received.
Higher vaccination linked to higher odds of onset of multiple conditions
According to the researchers, several of the study's findings are significant -- and provide evidence that vaccination may lead to risk factors for future chronic illnesses.
For example, vaccinated kids had more than double the odds of developing recurrent strep throat, "a finding with clinical significance given the need for repeated antibiotic treatment and the associated risks of antibiotic resistance, microbiome disruption, and rare but serious post-streptococcal sequelae" -- a secondary condition or complication from a prior disease."
The higher risk of ear infection faced by vaccinated children is also "a leading indication for antibiotic use, tympanostomy tube placement, and specialist referral in early childhood."
The higher risk of respiratory disease for vaccinated kids "suggests that vaccinated children experience substantially greater respiratory morbidity than their unvaccinated peers."
However, the findings of the study's dose-response analysis -- which looked at the onset of adverse health conditions in relation to the number of vaccine doses the children received -- provided "compelling evidence" about potential vaccine risks.
The odds of recurrent strep infections were 50% higher in vaccinated children compared with kids who received between one and three vaccine doses, and 240% higher for kids who received between six and nine doses.
For children who received 10 or more vaccine doses, the odds of experiencing recurrent strep throat decreased somewhat compared to kids who received between six and nine doses, dropping to 170%.
According to the study's authors, this "may reflect survivor bias -- where conclusions are drawn from people who survived or remained in a study, while overlooking those participants who may have died or dropped out due to poor health.
Rhinitis showed a similar pattern, with odds of onset ranging from 30% for children who received between one and three doses, to 130% for kids who received between six and nine doses.
Vaccinated girls had 160% higher odds of strep throat compared with unvaccinated girls
The study found that girls were particularly susceptible to some of the conditions studied, including strep throat, which vaccinated girls had 160% higher odds of developing compared to their unvaccinated peers -- representing "the strongest association observed in any sex-stratified analysis" in the study.
"The fact that kids who received at least one vaccine before 13 months were more often coded for several common infectious and respiratory diagnoses suggests an effect on the immune system," said epidemiologist M. Nathaniel Mead, Ph.D., a McCullough Foundation scholar, who was not involved with this study.
Developmental delay wasn't significantly linked with vaccination in the overall study, the analysis identified "significantly elevated odds" (40%) of developing such a condition among children who received between six and nine vaccine doses, compared to unvaccinated kids.
Hooker said these results may indicate the "healthy vaccinee" effect, "where parents of children developing more slowly, especially at younger ages, avoid vaccinations."
The result for the most heavily vaccinated children "appears to be more in line" with past research showing that "higher risk was associated with increasing numbers of vaccines received."
Recurring conditions may be sign of 'innate immune suppression'
Hooker said the study provides several significant findings that expand existing knowledge of vaccine risks and can help inform future research.
A key feature of the study is that it directly compared health outcomes between vaccinated and unvaccinated children, rather than comparing differentially vaccinated groups of kids to each other -- which Hooker said is "a methodological choice that systematically masks vaccine-associated morbidity."
Few studies have previously examined recurring disease in children, or the link between such recurring conditions and vaccination.
"The primary thrust of the study: recurring disease in children has been studied only peripherally in the past, despite strong evidence that vaccines and vaccine components can negatively impact the immune system," Hooker said.
According to Hooker, such recurring conditions may be a sign of "innate immune suppression." He said the study's findings "affirm this evidence as well as the need for additional study to understand the role of vaccines in recurrent infections and the extent that this is harming our population in the U.S."
"The number of vaccine doses administered to infants and young children has increased dramatically since the early 1990s," the study states. Yet, "rigorous long-term safety studies comparing fully vaccinated children to genuine unvaccinated controls remain exceedingly rare."
Hooker said the study "affirms a significant body of literature" regarding the risks of vaccination even for "partially vaccinated children," including a 2011 Institute of Medicine publication finding that there was not enough evidence to accept -- or reject -- a link between vaccines and a range of potential adverse events.
Hooker acknowledged certain methodological limitations of the study -- including the convenience sample based on eight pediatric officers who were "willing to share deidentified medical data" and an inability to consider the timing of the onset of the conditions measured in relation to the administration of vaccine doses.
The study also does not indicate whether any specific childhood vaccines are linked to a higher risk of any of the conditions measured. Hooker said the current vaccination schedule broadly exposes children to "toxic levels of aluminum," which the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has classified as a neurotoxin.
"The current schedule includes significant exposure to toxic levels of aluminum, which we know can travel to multiple organs in the body, including the brain. In addition, live virus exposure via rotavirus, measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) and varicella vaccines occurs throughout the first year of life," Hooker said.
'We need to better understand total health impacts of the current vaccine schedule'
Miller said that the study has some limitations, such as not being able to account for possible confounding variables, such as gestational age and birth weight but that overall, "the findings provide important signals that warrant further investigation."
"Additional studies with larger populations and more robust methodology are needed before firm conclusions can be drawn," Miller said.
Mead said the study is "timely," because the National Institutes of Health (NIH) "recently announced plans for intensifying research on autism's possible causes, without including vaccines as part of that focus."
"Clearly we need to better understand the total health impacts of the current vaccine schedule," Mead said.
Karl Jablonowski, Ph.D., CHD's senior research scientist and one of the study's co-authors, noted that a small group of scientists was able to conduct research that larger institutions, including the federal government, have neglected -- namely, directly comparing vaccinated and unvaccinated children's health outcomes.
"The largest such study was not conducted with millions of taxpayer dollars, HMO data and by decree from the NIH. It was done by a small, unyielding non-profit that had to stitch together medical databases," he said, referring to CHD.
"Something is very wrong with our national priorities, and our children are suffering because of it."
Related articles in The Defender
* Are Routine Childhood Vaccines Deadlier Than the Diseases they Target? (https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/are-routine-childhood-vaccines-deadlier-than-diseases-they-target/)
* Trump Says He Will Demand Drugmakers Split Some Routine Vaccines Into Five Doses (https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/trump-demand-drugmakers-split-some-routine-vaccines-into-five-doses/)
* New Poll: Americans' Trust in MMR Vaccine Fades (https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/new-poll-americans-trust-in-mmr-vaccine-fades/)
* Trump Signs Executive Order Aimed at Reducing Number of Childhood Vaccines (https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/trump-signs-executive-order-reduce-number-childhood-vaccines/)
* Dr. Paul Thomas: Why I Don't Vaccinate Kids -- and What Parents Should Know (https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/dr-paul-thomas-why-dont-vaccinate-kids-parents-should-know/)
* $50 Million NIH Autism Study Ignores Link to Vaccines, CHD Scientist Says (https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/50-million-nih-autism-study-ignores-link-vaccines-chd-scientist-says/)
* * *
Michael Nevradakis, Ph.D., based in Athens, Greece, is a senior reporter for The Defender and host of "The Defender In-Depth" on CHD.TV.
* * *
Original text here: https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/vaccinated-kids-significantly-higher-risk-multiple-chronic-health-conditions-chd-study/
[Category: Health Care]
Children's Health Defense Issues Commentary: COVID Vaccines for Kids Now Available Through CDC Program That Serves Low-Income Children
FRANKLIN LAKES, New Jersey, Sept. 30 -- Children's Health Defense, an organization that says it restores and protects the health of children by eliminating exposures to environmental toxins, issued the following commentary by Michael Nevradakis, senior reporter for The Defender and host of the Defender In-Depth on CHD.TV.:
* * *
COVID Vaccines for Kids Now Available Through CDC Program That Serves Low-Income Children
State health departments can now purchase this season's COVID-19 vaccines for low-income children through the CDC's Vaccines for Children Program. Vaccine advocates had complained ... Show Full Article FRANKLIN LAKES, New Jersey, Sept. 30 -- Children's Health Defense, an organization that says it restores and protects the health of children by eliminating exposures to environmental toxins, issued the following commentary by Michael Nevradakis, senior reporter for The Defender and host of the Defender In-Depth on CHD.TV.: * * * COVID Vaccines for Kids Now Available Through CDC Program That Serves Low-Income Children State health departments can now purchase this season's COVID-19 vaccines for low-income children through the CDC's Vaccines for Children Program. Vaccine advocates had complainedabout a delay -- but families and pediatricians concerned about vaccine safety criticized the decision. "The days of just injecting everyone without considering the individual landscape of each child's biologic terrain should come to a final curtain," said Dr. Michelle Perro.
September 29, 2026
State health departments can now purchase this season's COVID-19 vaccines for low-income children through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Vaccines for Children (VFC) Program.
Grace Davis Jamison, press secretary for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), on Monday confirmed in a statement shared with The Defender that COVID-19 vaccines are "available for states to order" through the VFC.
The Washington Post first reported last week that the process for states to obtain COVID-19 vaccines through the VFC Program had finally opened that week -- but only after the program "had been in limbo for nearly a month."
Vaccine advocates worried that the vaccines wouldn't be available to the VFC Program in time for the new cold and flu season, according to The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) and other news reports.
Approximately half of U.S. children receive their vaccinations through the VFC, according to a 2024 CDC statement. The vaccines are administered at no cost to low-income children age 18 or younger, including those enrolled in or eligible for Medicaid.
In June, the CDC finalized two COVID-19 vaccine contracts with Pfizer, valued at over $1.24 billion, for fiscal years 2026 and 2027, including $735.7 million for pediatric vaccines.
U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. wrote at the time that the "claim that CDC has already spent $1.24 billion on COVID-19 vaccines" was "simply wrong." He said the agreements were Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity contracts, a federal contracting framework for future purchases without requiring immediate expenditures.
As of today, both CDC-Pfizer contracts are still listed as "inactive" on SAM.gov, the federal government's website for federal contracts, grants and awards.
News that states can now purchase the vaccines through the VFC Program follows last week's news that the CDC had quietly reinstated its recommendations for "off-label" use of the COVID-19 vaccines for infants and children who are moderately to severely immunocompromised.
For children not at high risk -- including males ages 12-24, who have the highest risk for vaccine-associated myocarditis -- the CDC recommends the vaccine based on shared clinical decision-making.
Legal wranglings may be behind delays and changes in recommendations
An unnamed federal health official told the Post the delay in making this season's COVID-19 shots available through the VFC Program was likely linked "in part to a slowdown in approving CDC's clinical guidance" for administering the vaccine.
In May 2025, Kennedy announced the CDC would no longer recommend COVID-19 vaccines for healthy children 6 months and older and healthy pregnant women. The changes became official in September 2025, after the CDC approved a vote by its Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP).
ACIP voted to base COVID-19 vaccine recommendations on "individual-based decision-making."
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and other medical organizations challenged the new policy, suing HHS, Kennedy and other federal health agencies and officials.
In March 2026, a related court-ordered stay froze the new recommendations. An appeal is pending, with oral arguments scheduled for Oct. 6 in a Boston federal court.
Meanwhile, the legal challenge may have been behind the CDC's decision earlier this month to quietly reinstate its July 2025 COVID-19 vaccination recommendations, including recommending the vaccine for "off-label" use among infants and children.
However, Jamison said HHS policy is that "COVID-19 vaccination for children should be based on shared clinical decision-making between a health care provider and the child's parent or guardian, taking into account the child's individual health needs and risk factors."
"COVID-19 vaccines are only indicated for children with at least one underlying condition that puts them at high risk for severe outcomes from COVID-19," she said.
Pediatrician Dr. Michelle Perro said HHS and CDC "appear to be hedging" as they navigate conflicting policies and court rulings. This "places responsibility on the clinician and parent" to evaluate what's best for children, where this decision-making "actually belongs," she said.
For health freedom advocate Leland Lehrman, Kennedy is similarly attempting to navigate institutional pressures, legal challenges and his own vaccine policies.
"Most of his work remains on the publicity side, where it is having the visible effect of changing Americans' understanding of their rights and options. That is a good thing. The battle within the administration, and with the lawyers and the courts in D.C., is not going as well, but that's a call to action for the citizens," Lehrman said.
Vaccine advocates claim delay in providing VFC with COVID shots harms kids
Vaccine advocates argue that low-income children should have already had access to free COVID-19 vaccines.
According to the WSJ, state health departments typically order COVID-19 shots within two weeks of the vaccines becoming available for commercially insured programs. The government's "delay" in launching the VFC platform could "prevent millions of children" from "getting Covid shots during the early fall season," the WSJ reported.
In a statement, the AAP suggested availability of COVID-19 shots through the VFC Program will continue to be "highly variable" across states, "dependent in part on how long states take to implement ordering systems, whether initial supplies are limited and how quickly states are able to distribute the vaccines to clinicians."
Dr. Michelle Fiscus, chief medical officer for the Association of Immunization Managers, told the Tennessee Outlook it is "not unusual" for the program to procure vaccines with a delay compared to when they are first available commercially. But she claimed that "what we're seeing this year is unusual."
According to the Post, this puts low-income kids and "those without adequate insurance" at a disadvantage in terms of vaccine access. Brian Haile, CEO of Neighborhood Health, told the Tennessee Outlook there are concerns that "we're going to have much lower COVID vaccination rates than we could otherwise achieve."
According to the Post, some states, including New York, have told VFC providers they can redirect COVID-19 vaccine doses originally ordered for privately insured patients to the VFC Program, replacing those with VFC doses later.
Pediatricians suggest VFC coerces low-income families to get COVID shots
Some pediatricians and advocates view the VFC program as coercive because it requires participating physicians to administer the vaccines to their Medicaid and other low-income patients, or risk losing their Medicaid contracts.
Retired pediatrician Dr. Paul Thomas told The Defender that "some VFC families in my practice were there specifically because they had done their research and didn't want vaccines or wanted to go slowly."
However, most VFC families are "very compliant" with doctors' recommendations, Thomas said -- which "may disproportionately harm the poor and most needy in our society."
In an interview with The Defender last year, pediatrician Dr. Samara Cardenas said she was forced to close her practice after safety concerns drove to withhold the COVID-19 shots.
In 2023, the VFC Program kicked out Cardenas after a review of her vaccine records showed she wasn't administering COVID-19 vaccines to her young patients. Her Medicaid contract was revoked -- and with it, 1,900 patients.
Safety concerns about COVID-19 vaccines are widespread. According to the CDC, fewer than 1 in 10 children -- 9.7% -- between 6 months and 17 years were up to date on their COVID-19 shots by May 2026. Only 3% of parents said they planned to vaccinate their kids.
According to CDC data for the 2025-26 season, kids in the highest income brackets -- with a household income of $75,000 or more -- were most likely to have received a COVID-19 shot (12.3%), compared to 6.8% of kids "below poverty."
However, a separate category, "poverty status unknown," is also listed in the CDC's data. Publicly available records don't indicate how many children fall into this group, compared to those whose household income status was known.
CDC data also show a higher COVID-19 vaccination rate for kids in urban areas (12.8%) compared to suburban areas (9.3%), and a higher rate of vaccination (8.0%) for kids whose mothers had not completed high school, compared to those whose mothers completed high school or "some college."
Perro said that rather than looking at vaccination rates along demographic variables, physicians and parents should assess children regarding "their own metabolic, immunologic, microbiome, genetic and environmental well-being."
"The days of just injecting everyone without considering the individual landscape of each child's biologic terrain should come to a final curtain," Perro said.
Related articles in The Defender
* In Shadow of Pending Lawsuit, CDC Again Recommends COVID Vaccines for Infants and Young Kids (https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/cdc-again-recommends-covid-vaccines-for-infants-and-young-kids/)
* HHS Says No Decision on COVID Vaccine Deal With Pfizer, But Questions Persist About $1.24 Billion Contracts (https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/hhs-no-decision-pfizer-covid-vaccine-deal-questions-contracts-over-1-billion-dollars/)
* 'I Will Not Do Harm': Pediatrician Suing CDC Explains Decision Not to Give COVID Vaccines to Kids (https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/samara-cardenas-pediatrician-suing-cdc-explains-decision-not-to-give-covid-vaccines-kids/)
* Are Routine Childhood Vaccines Deadlier Than the Diseases they Target? (https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/are-routine-childhood-vaccines-deadlier-than-diseases-they-target/)
* Trump Signs Executive Order Backing HHS on Childhood Vaccine Reform -- Will It Matter? (https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/trump-signs-executive-order-backing-hhs-childhood-vaccine-reform/)
* Breaking: Federal Court Blocks ACIP Meeting, Changes to Childhood Vaccine Schedule (https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/federal-court-blocks-acip-meeting-childhood-vaccine-schedule-changes/)
* * *
Michael Nevradakis, Ph.D., based in Athens, Greece, is a senior reporter for The Defender and host of "The Defender In-Depth" on CHD.TV.
* * *
Original text here: https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/covid-vaccines-for-kids-now-available-through-cdc-program-that-serves-low-income-children-vfc/
[Category: Health Care]
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COVID Vaccines for Kids Now Available Through CDC Program That Serves Low-Income Children
State health departments can now purchase this season's COVID-19 vaccines for low-income children through the CDC's Vaccines for Children Program. Vaccine advocates had complained ... Show Full Article FRANKLIN LAKES, New Jersey, Sept. 30 -- Children's Health Defense, an organization that says it restores and protects the health of children by eliminating exposures to environmental toxins, issued the following commentary by Michael Nevradakis, senior reporter for The Defender and host of the Defender In-Depth on CHD.TV.: * * * COVID Vaccines for Kids Now Available Through CDC Program That Serves Low-Income Children State health departments can now purchase this season's COVID-19 vaccines for low-income children through the CDC's Vaccines for Children Program. Vaccine advocates had complainedabout a delay -- but families and pediatricians concerned about vaccine safety criticized the decision. "The days of just injecting everyone without considering the individual landscape of each child's biologic terrain should come to a final curtain," said Dr. Michelle Perro.
September 29, 2026
State health departments can now purchase this season's COVID-19 vaccines for low-income children through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Vaccines for Children (VFC) Program.
Grace Davis Jamison, press secretary for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), on Monday confirmed in a statement shared with The Defender that COVID-19 vaccines are "available for states to order" through the VFC.
The Washington Post first reported last week that the process for states to obtain COVID-19 vaccines through the VFC Program had finally opened that week -- but only after the program "had been in limbo for nearly a month."
Vaccine advocates worried that the vaccines wouldn't be available to the VFC Program in time for the new cold and flu season, according to The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) and other news reports.
Approximately half of U.S. children receive their vaccinations through the VFC, according to a 2024 CDC statement. The vaccines are administered at no cost to low-income children age 18 or younger, including those enrolled in or eligible for Medicaid.
In June, the CDC finalized two COVID-19 vaccine contracts with Pfizer, valued at over $1.24 billion, for fiscal years 2026 and 2027, including $735.7 million for pediatric vaccines.
U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. wrote at the time that the "claim that CDC has already spent $1.24 billion on COVID-19 vaccines" was "simply wrong." He said the agreements were Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity contracts, a federal contracting framework for future purchases without requiring immediate expenditures.
As of today, both CDC-Pfizer contracts are still listed as "inactive" on SAM.gov, the federal government's website for federal contracts, grants and awards.
News that states can now purchase the vaccines through the VFC Program follows last week's news that the CDC had quietly reinstated its recommendations for "off-label" use of the COVID-19 vaccines for infants and children who are moderately to severely immunocompromised.
For children not at high risk -- including males ages 12-24, who have the highest risk for vaccine-associated myocarditis -- the CDC recommends the vaccine based on shared clinical decision-making.
Legal wranglings may be behind delays and changes in recommendations
An unnamed federal health official told the Post the delay in making this season's COVID-19 shots available through the VFC Program was likely linked "in part to a slowdown in approving CDC's clinical guidance" for administering the vaccine.
In May 2025, Kennedy announced the CDC would no longer recommend COVID-19 vaccines for healthy children 6 months and older and healthy pregnant women. The changes became official in September 2025, after the CDC approved a vote by its Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP).
ACIP voted to base COVID-19 vaccine recommendations on "individual-based decision-making."
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and other medical organizations challenged the new policy, suing HHS, Kennedy and other federal health agencies and officials.
In March 2026, a related court-ordered stay froze the new recommendations. An appeal is pending, with oral arguments scheduled for Oct. 6 in a Boston federal court.
Meanwhile, the legal challenge may have been behind the CDC's decision earlier this month to quietly reinstate its July 2025 COVID-19 vaccination recommendations, including recommending the vaccine for "off-label" use among infants and children.
However, Jamison said HHS policy is that "COVID-19 vaccination for children should be based on shared clinical decision-making between a health care provider and the child's parent or guardian, taking into account the child's individual health needs and risk factors."
"COVID-19 vaccines are only indicated for children with at least one underlying condition that puts them at high risk for severe outcomes from COVID-19," she said.
Pediatrician Dr. Michelle Perro said HHS and CDC "appear to be hedging" as they navigate conflicting policies and court rulings. This "places responsibility on the clinician and parent" to evaluate what's best for children, where this decision-making "actually belongs," she said.
For health freedom advocate Leland Lehrman, Kennedy is similarly attempting to navigate institutional pressures, legal challenges and his own vaccine policies.
"Most of his work remains on the publicity side, where it is having the visible effect of changing Americans' understanding of their rights and options. That is a good thing. The battle within the administration, and with the lawyers and the courts in D.C., is not going as well, but that's a call to action for the citizens," Lehrman said.
Vaccine advocates claim delay in providing VFC with COVID shots harms kids
Vaccine advocates argue that low-income children should have already had access to free COVID-19 vaccines.
According to the WSJ, state health departments typically order COVID-19 shots within two weeks of the vaccines becoming available for commercially insured programs. The government's "delay" in launching the VFC platform could "prevent millions of children" from "getting Covid shots during the early fall season," the WSJ reported.
In a statement, the AAP suggested availability of COVID-19 shots through the VFC Program will continue to be "highly variable" across states, "dependent in part on how long states take to implement ordering systems, whether initial supplies are limited and how quickly states are able to distribute the vaccines to clinicians."
Dr. Michelle Fiscus, chief medical officer for the Association of Immunization Managers, told the Tennessee Outlook it is "not unusual" for the program to procure vaccines with a delay compared to when they are first available commercially. But she claimed that "what we're seeing this year is unusual."
According to the Post, this puts low-income kids and "those without adequate insurance" at a disadvantage in terms of vaccine access. Brian Haile, CEO of Neighborhood Health, told the Tennessee Outlook there are concerns that "we're going to have much lower COVID vaccination rates than we could otherwise achieve."
According to the Post, some states, including New York, have told VFC providers they can redirect COVID-19 vaccine doses originally ordered for privately insured patients to the VFC Program, replacing those with VFC doses later.
Pediatricians suggest VFC coerces low-income families to get COVID shots
Some pediatricians and advocates view the VFC program as coercive because it requires participating physicians to administer the vaccines to their Medicaid and other low-income patients, or risk losing their Medicaid contracts.
Retired pediatrician Dr. Paul Thomas told The Defender that "some VFC families in my practice were there specifically because they had done their research and didn't want vaccines or wanted to go slowly."
However, most VFC families are "very compliant" with doctors' recommendations, Thomas said -- which "may disproportionately harm the poor and most needy in our society."
In an interview with The Defender last year, pediatrician Dr. Samara Cardenas said she was forced to close her practice after safety concerns drove to withhold the COVID-19 shots.
In 2023, the VFC Program kicked out Cardenas after a review of her vaccine records showed she wasn't administering COVID-19 vaccines to her young patients. Her Medicaid contract was revoked -- and with it, 1,900 patients.
Safety concerns about COVID-19 vaccines are widespread. According to the CDC, fewer than 1 in 10 children -- 9.7% -- between 6 months and 17 years were up to date on their COVID-19 shots by May 2026. Only 3% of parents said they planned to vaccinate their kids.
According to CDC data for the 2025-26 season, kids in the highest income brackets -- with a household income of $75,000 or more -- were most likely to have received a COVID-19 shot (12.3%), compared to 6.8% of kids "below poverty."
However, a separate category, "poverty status unknown," is also listed in the CDC's data. Publicly available records don't indicate how many children fall into this group, compared to those whose household income status was known.
CDC data also show a higher COVID-19 vaccination rate for kids in urban areas (12.8%) compared to suburban areas (9.3%), and a higher rate of vaccination (8.0%) for kids whose mothers had not completed high school, compared to those whose mothers completed high school or "some college."
Perro said that rather than looking at vaccination rates along demographic variables, physicians and parents should assess children regarding "their own metabolic, immunologic, microbiome, genetic and environmental well-being."
"The days of just injecting everyone without considering the individual landscape of each child's biologic terrain should come to a final curtain," Perro said.
Related articles in The Defender
* In Shadow of Pending Lawsuit, CDC Again Recommends COVID Vaccines for Infants and Young Kids (https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/cdc-again-recommends-covid-vaccines-for-infants-and-young-kids/)
* HHS Says No Decision on COVID Vaccine Deal With Pfizer, But Questions Persist About $1.24 Billion Contracts (https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/hhs-no-decision-pfizer-covid-vaccine-deal-questions-contracts-over-1-billion-dollars/)
* 'I Will Not Do Harm': Pediatrician Suing CDC Explains Decision Not to Give COVID Vaccines to Kids (https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/samara-cardenas-pediatrician-suing-cdc-explains-decision-not-to-give-covid-vaccines-kids/)
* Are Routine Childhood Vaccines Deadlier Than the Diseases they Target? (https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/are-routine-childhood-vaccines-deadlier-than-diseases-they-target/)
* Trump Signs Executive Order Backing HHS on Childhood Vaccine Reform -- Will It Matter? (https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/trump-signs-executive-order-backing-hhs-childhood-vaccine-reform/)
* Breaking: Federal Court Blocks ACIP Meeting, Changes to Childhood Vaccine Schedule (https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/federal-court-blocks-acip-meeting-childhood-vaccine-schedule-changes/)
* * *
Michael Nevradakis, Ph.D., based in Athens, Greece, is a senior reporter for The Defender and host of "The Defender In-Depth" on CHD.TV.
* * *
Original text here: https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/covid-vaccines-for-kids-now-available-through-cdc-program-that-serves-low-income-children-vfc/
[Category: Health Care]