Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s decision to cut nearly $500 million in federal contracts for mRNA vaccine research has drawn sharp criticism from scientists who warn it could stall major medical advancements. Kennedy announced that HHS’s Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority will halt new mRNA projects, shifting to “safer, broader vaccine platforms.”
Experts, including former Trump Surgeon General Jerome Adams, say mRNA technology has decades of research behind it and was key to the rapid COVID-19 vaccine rollout. They stress it is safe, effective, and essential for pandemic preparedness and for promising treatments targeting cancer, HIV, and chronic diseases.
Critics fear Kennedy’s broader HHS cuts, combined with immigration restrictions, will drive scientific talent abroad and delay breakthroughs. HHS disputes claims that innovation will suffer, noting that mRNA use in other government contexts remains.
A bipartisan commission has warned that the U.S. risks losing its life sciences lead to China without major investment. Public health leaders say the long-term impact of Kennedy’s policy could be immeasurable—defined by discoveries that never happen.
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