(Philadelphia, PA) — Yesterday, NOTUS reported that the MAHA Institute president called for the elimination of all childhood vaccine recommendations. During RFK Jr.’s HHS confirmation hearing, he promised to support childhood vaccines—a promise he’s broken repeatedly.
“RFK Jr.’s MAHA allies are saying the quiet part out loud: the MAHA endgame has always been to eliminate childhood vaccine recommendations,” said Grace Silva, 314 Action spokesperson. “Everything he’s done as HHS Secretary—gutting ACIP, reducing the number of recommended immunizations, and undermining confidence in vaccine safety—has set the stage for him to drive manufacturers out of the U.S and eradicate all vaccines. Even among Trump voters, RFK Jr.’s anti-vaccine policies are deeply unpopular. 314 Action will continue to lead the charge against RFK Jr. to make sure there are consequences in the midterms.”
314 Action is working with a record number of candidates running to combat this public health crisis and assault on vaccines. In 2026, more than 150 STEM candidates have launched campaigns for federal, state and local office to undo RFK Jr.’s damage and stand up to the Trump administration.
NOTUS: RFK Jr.’s MAHA Allies Call to Eliminate All Childhood Vaccine Recommendations
Margaret Manto
03/09/26
Key points:
- Leaders of the MAHA Institute, the Robert F. Kennedy Jr.-allied think tank pushing Make America Health Again movement policies, stated their position on vaccines unequivocally on Monday: “The childhood vaccination schedule needs to be eliminated,” the policy group’s president, Mark Gorton, said.
- “All vaccines need to be removed from the market until they can be proven to be safe and effective,” Gorton told an audience of supporters gathered in the Willard Hotel’s Crystal Room for a panel discussion on the “Massive Epidemic of Vaccine Injury.”
- It is clear that the institute, and the movement it is part of, have the administration’s ear; attendees of past events have included senior HHS adviser Calley Means and Food and Drug Administration official Sara Brenner.
- But MAHA hasn’t been very happy with the Trump administration’s lack of action in recent months on issues it cares deeply about, like reducing pesticide use. And the Trump administration is reportedly wary that its vaccine policies are hurting them politically: A memo written by President Donald Trump’s main pollster called vaccine skepticism “politically risky” and said there could be “electoral downsides” for politicians who support eliminating vaccine recommendations.
- Gorton’s recommendation would be a huge escalation in efforts to curtail access to vaccines. The CDC rolled back the childhood vaccine schedule in January, but left all vaccines currently approved available through “shared clinical decision making” with a medical provider.
- The threat of a voter backlash to that decision and to other cuts to the vaccine schedule made by a CDC committee last fall has seemingly rattled the Trump administration. Several high-ranking officials with histories of criticizing vaccines at the CDC and the FDA have left federal service in recent weeks, including Jim O’Neill, who served as acting CDC director and signed off on the January changes to the childhood vaccine schedule, and Vinay Prasad, the FDA official who reportedly blocked an mRNA vaccine from being reviewed by the agency.
- The MAHA Institute, on the other hand, showed no concern over the potential political pitfalls of pushing its anti-vaccine agenda.
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