AMERICANS want better vaccine safety oversight, more stringent clinical trials and greater Big Pharma accountability.
A poll commissioned by the Foundation for Government Accountability showed that 88 per cent of respondents believe pharmaceutical companies ‘should be held financially responsible’ if their vaccines or other products cause harm.
The same proportion said they strongly or somewhat agree that clinical trials for new Covid-19 boosters should demonstrate a ‘clear health benefit’ before being granted approval. Support for both policies was nearly identical among Republicans and Democrats.
The survey also found that 50 per cent of respondents strongly or somewhat agree that parents should have the right to opt their children out of school-required vaccines without penalty.
The poll results closely match those of a poll conducted nationwide on behalf of Children’s Health Defense (CHD) in November 2024, which found that 57 per cent of respondents believe vaccine-injured people should be able to sue manufacturers, who are currently protected by laws shielding them from liability in the event of vaccine injuries.
The CHD poll also found that 51 per cent of respondents, including a majority of parents, opposed vaccine mandates, with 72 per cent opposing mandates for experimental vaccines such as the Covid-19 shots, which were issued under emergency use authorisation.
A survey of elementary school personnel funded by the National Institutes of Health and published in the journal Vaccine last month found that a majority of respondents opposed vaccine mandates for schoolchildren.
Last week, the Wall Street Journal reported that the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) plans to stop recommending COVID-19 vaccines for pregnant women, children and teens.
Last month, HHS announced that all new vaccines will have to be tested against a placebo before they can be approved.
The Foundation for Government Accountability poll found wide bipartisan support for the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) policies, which include more stringent safety testing of vaccines, bans on harmful food additives, better labelling of food products and greater transparency on the part of public health agencies.
CHD CEO Mary Holland said: ‘The health freedom movement is truly gaining traction with mainstream America. The MAHA movement is reshaping the political map to create a healthier world for children, and nothing could be more welcome.’
The poll’s results were published on the same day the White House’s MAHA Commission released its 73-page ‘Make Our Children Healthy Again’ report, identifying key factors contributing to the chronic disease epidemic in the US.
Zen Honeycutt, founding executive director of Moms Across America and the Neighborhood Food Network, said: ‘Every family in America today has been affected by either autism, autoimmune disorders, cancer, mental or reproductive health challenges. Therefore, every family in America would benefit from the success of MAHA.’
Scott C Tips, president of the National Health Federation, said the polling indicates increasing public distrust toward public health agencies in the wake of covid and a desire for change.
‘Numerous thinking people came to the realisation that the very health agencies, experts and even companies that they had trusted for making health policy decisions had badly deceived them,’ Tips said.
Valerie Borek, associate director and policy analyst for Stand for Health Freedom, said Congress should take notice of the wide public support for MAHA.
‘Our health policies have been broken for a long time,’ Borek said. ‘The future of our families and our country is at stake.’
Respondents also called for more transparency from government health agencies and increased accountability from drug manufacturers.
The survey showed near-unanimous (95 per cent) support for making all government-funded health studies available to the public, including those with negative results. A similar percentage (93 per cent) said government health agencies should be required to disclose financial ties with drug companies and food manufacturers, while 87 per cent of respondents said government health officials should not be allowed to own stock in companies they regulate.
The poll also found high levels of support for policies that would address food safety and restrict the use of harmful ingredients and additives.
Last month, HHS announced it would phase out all petroleum-based synthetic dyes from US foods and medications. Earlier this month, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced it would tighten its review process for chemical additives in food.
This article appeared in The Defender on May 23, 2025, and is republished by kind permission.
