Participants in a federally funded children’s vaccination program nationwide must honor religious and conscience exemptions from vaccine mandates, according to a Sept. 4 letter from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Civil Rights.
The Vaccines for Children Program (VCP) provides vaccines to children whose parents or guardians may not be able to afford them, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“States have the authority to balance public health goals with individual freedom, and honoring those decisions builds trust,” Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said in a statement.
“Protecting both public health and personal liberty is how we restore faith in our institutions and Make America Healthy Again.”…