Executive Branch

HHS Tells Children’s Vaccine Program Participants They Must Honor Religious Exemptions

‘Protecting both public health and personal liberty is how we restore faith to our institutions,’ Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said.
HHS Tells Children’s Vaccine Program Participants They Must Honor Religious Exemptions
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. testifies before the Senate Finance Committee on Sept. 4, 2025. Madalina Kilroy/The Epoch Times
Jeff Louderback
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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.
Jeff Louderback
Jeff Louderback
Reporter
Jeff Louderback covers major news and politics, including the Make America Healthy Again movement and regenerative farming. Since joining The Epoch Times in 2022, he has covered national elections, the Robert F. Kennedy Jr. presidential campaign, the East Palestine train derailment, and the aftermath of Hurricane Helene in western North Carolina. Jeff has 30-plus years of professional experience as a reporter, editor, and author.