US states reject anti-vaccine bills as public health groups fight MAHA
Dozens of anti-vaccine bills backed by the Make America Healthy Again coalition have been rejected in various U.S. states. Public health groups successfully lobbied Republican lawmakers, emphasizing the importance of vaccination for public health. The failures highlight the limits of the MAHA coalition's influence amid rising anti-vaccine sentiment.
- ▪Public health groups won over Republican lawmakers to defeat anti-vaccine bills in multiple states.
- ▪Polling data indicated that a bipartisan majority of Americans support school vaccination requirements.
- ▪Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has faced pushback against his anti-vaccine initiatives.
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US states reject anti-vaccine bills as public health groups fight MAHASign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inboxFILE PHOTO: U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. gestures as he speaks during the inaugural Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) summit in Washington, D.C., U.S., November 12, 2025. REUTERS/Nathan Howard/File PhotoPublished May 18, 2026, 06:08 PMUpdated May 18, 2026, 06:08 PMWASHINGTON, May 18 - Dozens of state anti-vaccine bills backed by "Make America Healthy Again" supporters have failed after public health groups won over Republican state lawmakers, marking a series of defeats for the backers of Health Secretary Robert F.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at Straits Times — World.