Kennedy Jr.'s initiate anti-vaccination organization files litigation against him concerning the safety of the vaccine task force
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., currently serving as Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), is embroiled in a legal battle over his alleged failure to establish a task force to promote the development of safer childhood vaccines, as mandated by the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act of 1986.
The law requires the HHS secretary to convene a task force consisting of key health officials to work on reducing vaccine adverse reactions and to report progress to Congress every two years. However, Kennedy has not fulfilled this duty, and no health secretary has complied with this reporting requirement in over 35 years, including Kennedy himself.
Children’s Health Defense, an organization founded by Kennedy, is funding a lawsuit filed by attorney Ray Flores against Kennedy for this failure. The lawsuit contends that more than 100 days have passed since Kennedy took office, and any grace period for action is over, making this a clear violation of federal law. Notably, a nonprofit anti-vaccine group founded by Kennedy himself has filed suit against him over the vaccine safety task force issue.
The lawsuit, filed on July 21, 2025, is ongoing and targets Kennedy for noncompliance. Flores stresses the legal obligation is "blackletter law," affirming the legitimacy of the claims against Kennedy. No information was found indicating any recent progress or Kennedy’s response to the lawsuit beyond his prior comments supporting his CDC reforms.
Dorit Reiss, a professor of law at UC Law San Francisco, also suggested the lawsuit may be performative. Dr. Peter Hotez, co-director of the Center for Vaccine Development at Texas Children's Hospital, expressed doubts about the lawsuit's intentions, suggesting it may be performative.
Kennedy has been using the absence of the panel to mischaracterize the government’s efforts to ensure vaccine safety. According to Reiss, there are multiple federal committees that routinely look at vaccine safety and how to make vaccines safer. Reiss believes the lawsuit might provide Kennedy with political cover to convene a task force on vaccine safety that he may already want to.
Mary Holland, CEO of Children's Health Defense, expressed concern in the article that no secretary has fulfilled this obligation, calling it a blow to the rule of law. Holland stated that their priority is children's health and that they will hold Kennedy accountable for this alleged failure.
It is important to note that Kennedy, while heading Children's Health Defense, has a history of filing lawsuits against corporations and government agencies, often over vaccines. This latest lawsuit adds to his contentious relationship with the vaccine industry and government bodies.
As the lawsuit progresses, it remains to be seen whether Kennedy will establish the task force and comply with the federal law. The outcome of this case could have significant implications for vaccine safety and the relationship between the government and anti-vaccine groups.
- The lawsuit filed by attorney Ray Flores against Robert F. Kennedy, the HHS secretary, over his failure to establish a task force for vaccine safety, requires Kennedy to address mental-health concerns related to the rule-of-law obligations as a public official.
- The ongoing legal battle between Robert F. Kennedy and attorney Ray Flores has raised questions about Kennedy's commitment to health-and-wellness, particularly in terms of prioritizing medical-conditions associated with vaccine safety and ensuring adherence to the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act.
