MAHA, Don't Squelch Your Opportunity to Enact Real Change

Momentum on vaccine safety is slowing -- ACT NOW

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A rare moment of bipartisan agreement may be emerging around medical autonomy. Across political parties, Americans are expressing strong support for informed consent, open scientific debate, and the right to make personal medical decisions. Whether this public sentiment translates into meaningful reform will depend on what happens next.

Proponents of medical autonomy appear to have a small window of time to educate the public and advance policies that defend personal bodily autonomy, rights of conscience, and parental rights.

Recent polling from independent pollsters indicates that the American public is leaning more in favor of these human rights. There is also increasing distrust in public health institutions, pharmaceutical companies, and health authorities stemming from the handling of the COVID pandemic.

Despite mainstream polls claiming that questioning the current vaccine schedule is politically dangerous, recent independent polls portray a quiet shift in public opinion across all political parties toward support for medical freedom.

Health Freedom Defense Fund and the Brownstone Institute commissioned Zogby Strategies to poll 1,000 registered voters in February 2026 and asked objective, unbiased questions regarding medical freedom issues. The party breakdown was 37% Republican, 36% Democrat, and 27% Independent. The margin of error for overall results is ±3.2 percentage points.

The results were striking and stand in stark contrast to many mainstream polls that may be influencing the information being presented to President Trump’s administration.

Areas of strongest support included:

• Right to refuse medical treatment generally:
  87.9% agree (58.8% strongly).

• Right to make one’s own medical choices as a basic human right protected by law:
  87.2% agree (59.5% strongly).

• Doctors should be able to discuss vaccine concerns openly without fear of medical board backlash:
  88.1% agree (64.5% strongly), one of the highest “strongly agree” levels in the survey.

• Health insurance should cover chosen treatments, including holistic or alternative options:
  76.1% agree (43.6% strongly).

• Right to refuse vaccines for adults:
  80.4% agree (50.5% strongly).

• Personal medical or vaccine decisions should never lead to denial of employment:
  70.6% agree (47.3% strongly).

• Parents’ right to refuse vaccines for children or dependents:
  65.7% agree. This remains a clear majority, although somewhat lower than adult refusal, with 37.4% strongly agreeing compared with 50.5% for adults.

On matters of school vaccine mandates, results also showed majorities supporting parental choice:

• Parents should be able to opt children out of school vaccine mandates:
  54.5% agree (31.0% strongly). Among parents with children under 17, agreement rose to 66.7%, with 42.8% strongly agreeing.

To put this result in context, other polls in recent years have concluded that more than 70% of the public supports school vaccine mandates.

• College students should not have been expelled for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine: 65.4% agree (44.4% strongly).

COVID-19 era policies

• When asked to evaluate pandemic policies in retrospect, the poll documented strong opposition to many measures:

COVID lockdowns and restrictions caused excessive damage to American society:
61.9% agree (35.0% strongly), compared with 32.0% who disagree.

Other medical freedom questions

• Childhood vaccine schedule expansion may have contributed to the rise in chronic diseases, among other factors:
  48.3% agree, 38.2% disagree, and 13.6% are undecided.

  The public is essentially split on this question. Less than a decade ago, however, a strong majority said the vaccine schedule was safe, as noted in a Pew Research poll.

• The HHS decision to conduct additional vaccine safety research is justified:
  68.6% agree, approximately 21% disagree, and about 10% are undecided.

• Investigating the effects of thimerosal (a mercury-based compound), aluminum, polysorbate-80, polyethylene glycol, and formaldehyde used in everyday medical products:
  77.8% support such research, with 47.8% strongly supporting it. This question addressed vaccine ingredients without mentioning vaccines specifically, which yielded even stronger support.

Public attitudes toward COVID vaccines

Polling regarding the COVID vaccines specifically also reflects declining public confidence.

Several Rasmussen Reports surveys found the following:

December 7, 2022
Fifty-seven percent (57%) of respondents were concerned that COVID-19 vaccines may have major side effects, including 31% who were very concerned. Forty percent (40%) were not concerned, including 18% who were not at all concerned. Sixty-eight percent (68%) of adults reported receiving a COVID-19 vaccination. Among those vaccinated, 56% reported no side effects, 34% reported minor side effects, and 7% reported major side effects.

November 2023
Twenty-four percent (24%) reported personally knowing someone they believe died from a COVID vaccine. Among those individuals, 69% said they would be likely to join a class-action lawsuit against pharmaceutical companies.

November 2025
Among all American adults, including those who were not vaccinated against COVID-19, 46% believe it is likely that side effects from COVID-19 vaccines have caused a significant number of unexplained deaths. This is down from 55% in September 2024 and includes 25% who say it is very likely. Forty-four percent (44%) do not believe a significant number of deaths have been caused by vaccine side effects, including 20% who believe it is not at all likely. Another 12% remain unsure.

There is much more data contained in the links above, but the underlying message is clear —

Americans are increasingly seeking transparency, honesty, informed consent, and the right to make individual medical decisions.

Unfortunately, President Trump and Secretary Kennedy recently appear to be stepping back from addressing vaccine issues. A quick search of Secretary Kennedy’s X account shows the last time vaccines were directly addressed was May 2025.

Many in the MAHA and medical freedom movement fear that we could lose this possibly once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to restore integrity to medicine and public health if action is not taken soon.

It is vitally important for elected leaders and political candidates to recognize the importance of these issues to the American people. These are winning issues across political parties, which is extraordinarily rare.

A chart from the aforementioned Zogby Strategies poll illustrates this point:

What can we do to spread the message that American voters support MAHA policies and that these issues may influence more voters than almost any other policy?

• First, research the positions of your local and federal candidates on MAHA-related issues. Let them know you support policies not only related to vaccine safety but also to real food, clean air and water, reducing pesticide exposure in agriculture, and shifting our healthcare model toward prevention and wellness rather than disease management. Support and elect candidates who share these priorities.

• President Trump also needs to hear directly from his base. It is possible that he is receiving inaccurate or incomplete advice from some advisors.

As explained by A Midwestern Doctor:

“All available data shows there is strong support for reducing the CDC schedule, investigating vaccine safety, and rescinding mandates. In contrast, the polls Trump may have received appear to be inaccurate and may have been designed to push him away from addressing vaccine policy.”

Currently, there is significant division and dissatisfaction within parts of the Republican Party as some issues strongly supported by voters have been scaled back due to media pressure and political opposition. Many observers believe that the MAHA movement played an important role in Trump’s 2024 electoral victory. Delaying action on these issues until after the midterm elections could demoralize voters within that constituency, many of whom consider vaccine policy their number one issue.

• A petition titled COVID JUSTICE has been created by several organizations, including Autism Action Network, Brownstone Institute, and the Independent Medical Alliance. The petition supports a proposed Senate Resolution:

“To affirm the permanent lessons of the COVID-19 response, to repudiate certain emergency measures as incompatible with constitutional liberty, and to establish binding principles for any future public health emergency.”

As of today, the petition has gathered approximately 26,500 signatures. If you feel led, consider signing and sharing it. Many Americans believe the policies implemented during COVID must be examined carefully, that accountability is necessary, and that the suspension of civil liberties should never happen again.

• Finally, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) will meet again on March 18–19 and will be discussing COVID vaccine injuries. This is significant. After 5-6 years of being gaslit, the committee is inviting the public to tell their stories. After years in which many felt their concerns were dismissed, the committee is inviting members of the public to share their experiences.

Personal testimony has the power to change hearts and minds. If you or a loved one has a story to share, you may submit public comments before March 12 (this Thursday). The committee is under significant pressure regarding potential changes to the vaccine schedule, and public participation may influence those discussions.

The data increasingly suggest that Americans want to return to a healthcare system rooted in honesty, transparency, and respect for individual autonomy. These values are trending across party lines and will be essential for those in leadership and policy making to recognize as important in restoring trust in medicine and strengthening public health in the years ahead.