Public health errors, whether by action or inaction, contribute to distrust of public health officials and policy makers. Through examples of the opioid crisis in the United States and Canada, and radiation therapy in Canada, this article proposes a new definition of public health errors and asserts that these errors should be classified as errors of omission or commission, and as culpable or non-culpable. Regardless of type, all errors must be responded to promptly and transparently, with dedicated strategies to communicate with marginalized populations.