More than half of Americans believe they should be able to sue vaccine makers for injuries and adverse side effects, according to new polling.
Fifty-seven percent of respondents believed vaccine makers should be stripped of their legal immunity from prosecution. At present, vaccine manufacturers are immune to legal claims for harm caused by their products.
Thirty-six percent of respondents said they don’t trust the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Forty-one percent said the government mishandled the COVID-19 pandemic.
Less than half of respondents supported government vaccine mandates, with 55% of 45-64 year olds opposing them.
The polling was commissioned by Children’s Health Defense (CHD) and took a representative sample of just over 1,000 US adults.
“This data highlights a significant loss of trust in our regulatory agencies,” said CHD CEO Mary Holland.
“Allowing this distrust to persist will further undermine the public’s confidence in our healthcare organizations.”
Holland continued: “We must emphasize that if the government wishes to regain credibility, it must recognize the realities of vaccines. Until that happens, Americans are less likely to heed their guidance, and the remaining public faith in these institutions will ultimately vanish.”
Respondents were asked five questions: Do Americans trust government health agencies like the CDC and FDA? Should the government be able to mandate vaccines? What about experimental vaccines that haven’t been subjected to standard safety testing—should the government be able to mandate those? Should anyone harmed by a vaccine be able to sue the manufacturer, as is the case for almost all other products and services? Looking back on it, how would you rate the government’s overall handling of COVID-19?