American Academy of Pediatrics declares war on religious freedom

(NaturalHealth365)  The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) just declared war on religious freedom.  In a policy statement published July 28th, the AAP demanded that all states eliminate religious and philosophical vaccine exemptions for children attending daycare and school.

Their message is crystal clear: vaccinate your children according to their schedule, or keep them out of school entirely.  No exceptions for deeply held religious beliefs.  No accommodations for philosophical concerns about vaccine safety.  Just comply or be excluded from public education.

The timing couldn’t be more suspicious, coming at a moment when public support for religious exemptions has doubled from 20% in 2019 to 39% in 2025, according to University of Pennsylvania research.

The troubling financial connections

Before diving into their demands, let’s examine who’s really behind this push.  The AAP isn’t just a medical organization – it’s a lobbying powerhouse that spent over $1 million annually advocating for its positions over the past six years.

Those advocacy efforts are funded partly by annual contributions from corporate sponsors, including vaccine manufacturers Moderna, Merck, Sanofi, Abbott Laboratories, GSK, and CSL Seqirus.

Even more concerning, government payment records show the policy statement’s lead author, Dr. Jesse Hackell, has personally received money from Merck, Pfizer, Seqirus, and GSK since 2018.  Co-author Dr. Lisa Kafer has received payments from the same companies, as well as others.

Despite these obvious financial conflicts, the AAP claims none of the authors have “relevant financial conflicts of interest to disclose.”  That’s either willful blindness or deliberate deception.

Attacking constitutional rights

The AAP’s position directly contradicts recent Supreme Court precedent.  In the 2025 Mahmoud v. Taylor case, the Court reaffirmed that parents have a fundamental right to raise their children according to their religious beliefs, with any government policy infringing on this right facing strict scrutiny – the highest legal standard.

Civil rights attorney Sujata Gibson, who represents families challenging vaccine exemption denials, explained the constitutional problem: “Forcing families to choose between their faith and their children’s education is unnecessary.  Forty-five states already balance public health with religious accommodations, proving it’s possible to protect both.”

The AAP’s argument relies on outdated case law from 1905, 1922, and 1944 – rulings that predate modern constitutional protections for religious freedom and parental rights.

Questioning the sincerity of faith

Perhaps most troubling is how the AAP openly questions the legitimacy of people’s religious beliefs.  They acknowledge that no major world religions explicitly prohibit vaccination, then dismiss newer religious perspectives as too “complicated for effective interpretation.”

This represents dangerous government overreach into matters of faith.  The state has no business determining which religious beliefs are sufficiently “legitimate” to merit constitutional protection.

Many families object to vaccines on religious grounds because several are produced using cell lines originally derived from aborted fetal tissue – a clear moral conflict for those opposed to abortion.  The AAP’s dismissal of these concerns shows profound disrespect for sincerely held religious convictions.

The safety questions they won’t address

Dr. Michelle Perro, pediatrician and author of “What’s Making Our Children Sick?” strongly criticized the AAP’s position: “Vaccines contain adjuvants and excipients such as aluminum salts, polysorbate 80, and formaldehyde that create neurotoxicity and immune dysregulation in some children.”

She highlighted a crucial point often ignored in these debates: “The National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program grants vaccine manufacturers legal immunity, leaving families with no recourse when vaccine injuries occur.”

This creates an impossible situation – families are being forced to accept products from manufacturers who bear zero legal liability for adverse effects, while simultaneously losing their right to refuse based on religious or philosophical concerns.

Natural approaches to supporting immune health

While the AAP pushes one-size-fits-all mandates, many families are exploring natural ways to support their children’s immune systems and overall health:

Optimize nutrition fundamentals: Focus on organic whole foods rich in vitamins C, D, and zinc.  These nutrients are crucial for proper immune function and are often deficient in children’s diets.

Support gut health: Since 70% of immune function originates in the gut, prioritizing beneficial bacteria through fermented foods and limiting processed foods strengthens natural immunity.

Ensure adequate sleep: Children need 9-11 hours of quality sleep for optimal immune function.  Poor sleep directly compromises the body’s ability to fight infections.

Reduce toxic exposures: Minimize exposure to environmental toxins that can suppress immune function, including excessive screen time, processed foods, and chemical-laden household products.

Consider targeted supplementation: Work with holistic healthcare providers who understand natural immunity to determine if vitamin D, probiotics, or other supplements might benefit your child’s specific needs.

These approaches work with your child’s natural immune system rather than attempting to override it, supporting long-term health and resilience.

The real numbers don’t support panic

Despite the AAP’s alarmist rhetoric, actual exemption rates remain minimal.  Even in states allowing nonmedical exemptions, the rate reached only 3% in the 2022-2023 school year.

This hardly represents the public health crisis the AAP describes.  The vast majority of children receive recommended vaccines regardless of exemption availability.

Following the money trail

Kim Mack Rosenberg, general counsel for Children’s Health Defense, cut to the heart of the matter: “AAP and many of its members benefit from high vaccine uptake, and this conflict of interest should not be ignored.”

The financial incentives are undeniable.  Pediatricians receive substantial compensation for maintaining high vaccination rates in their practices.  Vaccine manufacturers profit enormously from mandated childhood vaccination schedules.

What’s the bottom line?  Religious freedom and parental rights aren’t obstacles to public health – they’re fundamental constitutional protections that must be preserved.  Forty-five states currently balance public health concerns with religious accommodations, proving that protecting constitutional rights and maintaining community health aren’t mutually exclusive goals.

The choice facing parents shouldn’t be between their faith and their children’s education.  That’s not healthcare – that’s coercion dressed up in medical terminology.

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Sources for this article include:

AAP.org
Childrenshealthdefense.org

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