The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) intends to cancel $500 million (£376 million) in funding for mRNA vaccines designed to combat viruses that cause diseases like the flu and Covid-19. According to HHS, this will have an impact on 22 initiatives led by major pharmaceutical companies such as Pfizer and Moderna for vaccines against bird flu and other diseases. Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr., a vaccine sceptic, declared that the money would be withdrawn because to claims that “mRNA technology poses more risks than benefits for these respiratory viruses”. Doctors and health experts have attacked Kennedy’s long-standing concerns about the safety and efficacy of vaccines, as well as his opinions on health policy.
According to Peter Lurie, a former US Food and Drug Administration official, the invention of mRNA vaccines targeting Covid-19 was important in slowing the pandemic and saving millions of lives. He explained to the BBC that the change represented the US “turning its back on one of the most promising tools to fight the next pandemic”. In a statement, Kennedy stated that his staff “reviewed the science, listened to the experts, and acted”. “[T]he data show these vaccines fail to protect effectively against upper respiratory infections like COVID and flu,” said Mr. Smith. He stated that the agency was diverting money towards “safer, broader vaccine platforms that remain effective even as viruses mutate”.
While some vaccinations use an inactivated virus to elicit an immune response, mRNA vaccines instruct cells how to produce proteins that can cause an immunological response. Moderna and Pfizer’s mRNA vaccines were tested in thousands of people before being released, and they were found to be both safe and efficacious. Dr. Offit, who developed the rotavirus vaccine, stated that the funding cut could leave the US in a “more dangerous” position to respond to any future epidemic. He emphasised that mRNA vaccines have a shorter development cycle, which is why they were critical in responding to the Covid-19 pandemic. Since entering office, Kennedy has taken many efforts to change how the nation’s health department develops and oversees vaccines.
In June, he sacked all 17 members of a group that makes official government recommendations on vaccinations, replacing them with others who have questioned the safety and efficacy of vaccines. He also took the Covid-19 vaccine off the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention’s recommended immunisation schedule for healthy children and pregnant women.
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