Former CDC Director Robert Redfield has called for major changes to vaccine oversight and public health leadership, including the repeal of liability protections for vaccine manufacturers. Redfield made the remarks Wednesday at a Heritage Foundation event, where he also criticized COVID-19 vaccine messaging.
“The protections were well-intended but don’t work,” Redfield said, referring to the 1986 National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act. He argued that public health leaders failed to provide honest information about COVID-19 vaccines, damaging public trust.
REPORT: The former CDC is now calling on Congress to END the liability shield for vaccine makers.
“These companies have to be able to be held liable for their products like any other company.”
Repealing the 1986 Vaccine Injury Act would strip pharmaceutical companies of their… pic.twitter.com/GuCnn2nvIH
— The Vigilant Fox 🦊 (@VigilantFox) December 19, 2024
Redfield highlighted cases of vaccine recipients presenting symptoms consistent with “long COVID” despite never contracting the virus. He urged public health agencies to address vaccine injuries transparently to restore credibility.
Ex-CDC Director Calls on Congress to END the Liability Shield for Vaccine Makers
This would be a game-changer.https://t.co/tvIFf3xMNV
— “Sudden And Unexpected” (@toobaffled) December 19, 2024
He also proposed a 10-year term limit for federal public health officials, criticizing long tenures like Dr. Anthony Fauci’s nearly 40 years at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. Redfield said prolonged leadership discourages openness to new ideas and accountability.
How many vaccines will it take before people start questioning whether we’re administering too many to our children? We need to eradicate the National Childhood Vaccination Injury Act of 1986 and restore liability to Big Pharma. pic.twitter.com/RsGz2Tyx6M
— Dr. Ben Tapper (@DrBenTapper1) November 25, 2024
As a virologist, Redfield reiterated his belief that COVID-19 was engineered in a lab to infect humans, a view that led to harassment and death threats from fellow scientists.
Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) pledged at the same event to investigate vaccine-related injuries and pandemic responses under the Trump administration. Johnson emphasized the need for unredacted records, including those detailing heart inflammation linked to COVID-19 vaccines. He voiced confidence in Trump’s nominees, such as Robert F. Kennedy Jr., to improve transparency in public health.
