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3d ago

RFK Jr.’s Defunding of $500 Million in mRNA Research Prompts Dire Warnings

Critics say the decision threatens pandemic preparedness by diverting resources from fast-moving messenger RNA platforms.

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TOPSHOT - This picture taken in Monts, central France, on April 22, 2021, shows vials of the Moderna Covid-19 disease vaccine at Recipharm plant. Recipharm has been chosen by the American biotech Moderna to produce part of its candidate vaccine against Covid-19 in France. (Photo by GUILLAUME SOUVANT / AFP) (Photo by GUILLAUME SOUVANT/AFP via Getty Images)

Overview

  • On August 5, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. halted 22 BARDA-supported messenger RNA vaccine projects, canceling roughly $500 million in federal research funding.
  • Kennedy justified the cuts by claiming that mRNA vaccines offer limited protection against upper respiratory infections and carry greater risks than benefits.
  • The World Health Organization’s Joachim Hombach labeled the move a “significant blow,” and experts like Jaime Yassif and Michael Osterholm warned it could weaken future pandemic response.
  • Canadian scientists including Matthew Miller and Angela Rasmussen cautioned that the rollback could stall vaccine development, threaten Canada’s access to critical technology and fuel a vaccine confidence crisis.
  • Nobel laureate Katalin Karikó and others warn the cuts will drive U.S. researchers and investment to countries like China, shifting global leadership in messenger RNA innovation and slowing advances in cancer therapies.