Americans want better vaccine safety oversight, more stringent clinical trials and greater Big Pharma accountability, according to a poll conducted this month by the Center for Excellence in Polling and commissioned by the Foundation for Government Accountability.

The results showed that 88% of respondents believe pharmaceutical companies “should be held financially responsible” if their vaccines or other products cause harm.

Also, 88% said they strongly or somewhat agree that clinical trials for new COVID-19 boosters should demonstrate a “clear health benefit” before being granted U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval. Support for both policies was nearly identical among Republicans and Democrats.

The survey also found that 50% of respondents strongly or somewhat agree that parents should have the right to opt their children out of school-required vaccines, without penalty.

Support for this measure was highest among Republicans (68%), while 43% of independents and 37% of Democrats agreed.

The poll results closely match those of a John Zogby Strategies poll conducted nationwide on behalf of Children’s Health Defense (CHD) in November 2024, which found that 57% of respondents believe vaccine-injured people should be able to sue vaccine manufacturers, who are currently protected by laws shielding them from liability in the event of vaccine injuries.

The CHD-Zogby poll also found that 51% of respondents, including a majority of parents, opposed vaccine mandates — with 72% opposing mandates for experimental vaccines such as the COVID-19 shots, which were issued under emergency use authorization.

A survey of elementary school personnel funded by the National Institutes of Health and published in the journal Vaccine last month found that a majority of respondents opposed vaccine mandates for schoolchildren.

Last week, The Wall Street Journal reported that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) plans to stop recommending COVID-19 vaccines for pregnant women, children and teens.

Last month, HHS announced that all new vaccines will have to be tested against a placebo before they can be approved.

Health freedom movement ‘truly gaining traction with mainstream America’

The Foundation for Government Accountability poll found wide bipartisan support for the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) policies — including more stringent safety testing of vaccines, bans on harmful food additives, better labelling of food products and greater transparency on the part of public health agencies.

The poll surveyed a national sample of 1,030 likely voters. The poll’s margin of error was 3.05 percentage points.

According to the Center for Excellence in Polling, the results show “overwhelming and bipartisan support” for MAHA policies, indicating that “voters are clamoring for reform” and that MAHA “has become a driving force in American politics.”

USA Today reported that “On 22 out of the 23 questions, at least 68% of the voters agreed on the MAHA-aligned agenda.”

The sample was nearly evenly split among those who voted for President Donald Trump (50%) and those who voted for Kamala Harris (48%). Over one-third of respondents (36%) identified as Democrats, 34% identified as Republicans and 29% as independents.

CHD CEO Mary Holland said the results confirm “broad-based, bipartisan support” of the MAHA movement.

“The health freedom movement is truly gaining traction with mainstream America. The MAHA movement is reshaping the political map to create a healthier world for children, and nothing could be more welcome,” Holland said.

The poll’s results were published on the same day the White House’s MAHA Commission released its 73-page “Make Our Children Healthy Again” report, identifying key factors contributing to the chronic disease epidemic in the U.S.

Journalist and author John Leake said the poll’s results “come as no surprise.”

“What reasonable person would reject practical measures to increase the abundance of nutritious food and clean water, to improve the safety of drugs and vaccines, and to eliminate waste and fraud from federal programs?” Leake asked.

Zen Honeycutt, founding executive director of Moms Across America and the Neighborhood Food Network, welcomed the bipartisan support of MAHA policies.

“Poison is not partisan. Cancer is not choosy. And reproductive challenges are skyrocketing,” Honeycutt said. “Every family in America today has been affected by either autism, autoimmune disorders, cancer, mental or reproductive health challenges. Therefore, every family in America would benefit from the success of MAHA.”

Kendall Mackintosh, a board-certified nutrition specialist and “MAHA Mom,” said, “We’ve reached a tipping point. People are waking up. They know something is deeply broken in our healthcare and food systems and are demanding change.”

‘The future of our families and our country is at stake’

Scott C. Tips, president of the National Health Federation, said the Center for Excellence in Polling survey indicates increasing public distrust toward public health agencies in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and a desire for change.

“Numerous thinking people came to the realization that the very health agencies, experts and even companies that they had trusted for making health policy decisions had badly deceived them,” Tips said. “Trust must be earned, it’s not a gift. The poll shows that much of the public no longer trusts the experts or their institutions.”

Valerie Borek, associate director and policy analyst for Stand for Health Freedom, said Congress should take notice of the wide public support for MAHA.

“Our health policies have been broken for a long time,” Borek said. “What some in Congress may not expect or understand yet is how hard families fought for decades to make the health of our children a national conversation. The future of our families and our country is at stake.”

Mackintosh said that the poll’s results show that “our voices are breaking through” despite media censorship and expressed her hope that the MAHA movement will unify Americans regardless of political belief.

“When we lead with education, transparency and empowerment, we can unite people across all divides,” Mackintosh said.

Respondents also called for more transparency from government health agencies and increased accountability from drug manufacturers.

The survey showed near-unanimous (95%) support for making all government-funded health studies available to the public, including those with negative results.

A similar percentage (93%) said government health agencies should be required to publicly disclose financial ties with drug companies and food manufacturers, while 87% of respondents said government health officials should not be allowed to own stock in companies they regulate.

See also:

Toxic Exposures

Toxic Exposures

Moderna Covered Up Death, Injuries in COVID Vaccine Trials. Will Trump Hold the Company Accountable?

Betsy Combier

betsy@advocatz.com