Overview

• On July 24, Children’s Health Defense sued HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for failing to convene a federally mandated childhood vaccine safety task force.
• The National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act of 1986 obligates the HHS secretary to establish a panel of NIH, FDA and CDC leaders and submit progress reports to Congress every two years.
• The task force last met from 1990 to 1998 and has not produced any reports to Congress in over two decades.
• CHD senior counsel Ray Flores issued a 60-day notice on March 15 and now funds the litigation to compel formation of the panel while highlighting the lack of a CDC director as an impediment.
• Critics including law professor Dorit Reiss say the lawsuit may serve as a performative tactic to give RFK Jr. cover to convene the long-inactive vaccine safety panel.