Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said Wednesday that the department has launched an investigation into what he described as a “troubling incident” involving a Midwestern school that allegedly vaccinated a child without parental consent, as reported by Fox News.
Kennedy made the announcement in a video statement released on X, saying the department is taking steps to enforce federal requirements that protect parental authority in medical decisions involving their children.
Kennedy said the incident involved a school administering a federally funded vaccine despite a legally recognized state exemption.
“A school administered a federally funded vaccine to a child without the parent’s consent and despite a legally recognized state exemption,” he said.
“When any institution — a school, a doctor’s office, a clinic — disregards a religious exemption, it doesn’t just break trust, it also breaks the law.” He added:
“We’re not going to tolerate it.”
Kennedy did not identify the name of the school, the state where the incident occurred, or the type of vaccine involved. He said the Trump administration intends to ensure that health care providers and institutions comply with federal protections relating to parental rights.
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“We will use every tool we have to protect families and restore accountability,” he said.
According to Kennedy, HHS is beginning compliance reviews of major health care providers and systems to determine whether they are giving parents timely access to their children’s health information.
He said that providers will receive a letter reminding them of “their clear legal duty” to share medical records with parents, adding that the department expects “no delays, no secrets, no excuses.”
A separate letter from the Health Resources and Services Administration was issued to HRSA grant recipients.
Kennedy said that the letter reiterates that federal funding requires adherence to laws safeguarding parental rights, and that program participants must comply with those standards.
HHS is also examining how states and school districts handle medical and religious exemptions as part of its oversight of the federally funded Vaccines for Children program.
Kennedy said the review aims to ensure that program operations are consistent with federal and state law.
Kennedy encouraged parents to file complaints with the HHS Office for Civil Rights if they believe their rights have been violated or if they believe their child received medical treatment without proper consent.
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