The U.S Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), under the leadership of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has pulled the plug on Emergency Use Authorizations (EUAs) for COVID-19 vaccines and issued a bold directive: states must honor religious exemptions for all vaccine mandates or risk losing federal funding.
This double-barreled move, announced in the last week, is a direct challenge to Big Pharma’s grip on public health and a rallying cry for individual freedom of conscience.
On August 27, 2025, HHS announced it was rescinding EUAs for COVID-19 vaccines, limiting their use to high-risk groups—those over 65 or with serious health conditions. The decision, backed by Kennedy’s team, cites data questioning the efficacy of mRNA vaccines, particularly those from Pfizer and Moderna, against respiratory infections.
Hot on the heels of the EUA revocation, HHS dropped another bombshell: states must recognize religious exemptions for vaccine mandates or face the loss of federal health funds.
Under Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s leadership, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has just confirmed in writing what vaccine safety advocates have long argued: federal law requires states to honor religious vaccine exemptions.
On August 21, 2025, the HHS Office for Civil Rights (OCR) issued a stern reminder to West Virginia, citing federal conscience and religious freedom laws. States cannot trample on sincerely held beliefs, the OCR stated, warning that noncompliance could jeopardize billions in Medicare and Medicaid dollars.
This directive is a direct shot across the bow of states like New York and California, where strict vaccine mandates have historically sidelined religious objectors. In 2021, New York eliminated religious exemptions for healthcare workers, prompting lawsuits and resignations. Now, HHS is flipping the script, leveraging federal purse strings to force compliance.
“This is about restoring bodily autonomy,” Kennedy said at a D.C. press conference, flanked by advocates waving signs reading “My Faith, My Choice.” The policy aligns with a growing push for personal freedom, with states like Florida and Montana already expanding exemption laws.
