RFK Jr Scraps $500 Million mRNA Vaccine Program, Sparking Backlash from Health Experts

 

US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr has cancelled half a billion dollars in federal funding for the development of mRNA vaccines targeting viruses such as Covid-19 and the flu, igniting sharp criticism from public health officials and scientists.

 

The $500 million cut will halt 22 ongoing projects overseen by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), including major efforts by pharmaceutical giants Pfizer and Moderna. These programs were aimed at developing vaccines for viruses such as bird flu, Covid-19, and other respiratory illnesses. The funding was originally administered by the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), a division of HHS.

 

Kennedy, a known vaccine sceptic, defended the move by claiming mRNA vaccines are more harmful than beneficial when used against respiratory viruses. “We reviewed the science, listened to the experts, and acted,” Kennedy said in a statement. “The data show these vaccines fail to protect effectively against upper respiratory infections like COVID and flu.” He added that the funds will be redirected toward “safer, broader vaccine platforms that remain effective even as viruses mutate.”

 

Kennedy further argued that mRNA vaccines might be contributing to the evolution of new virus strains. “mRNA vaccines can help encourage new mutations and can actually prolong pandemics as the virus constantly mutates to escape the protective effects of the vaccine,” he claimed.

However, medical experts strongly rejected Kennedy’s assertions, warning that the cancellation jeopardises national readiness for future pandemics. “This is the US turning its back on one of the most promising tools to fight the next pandemic,” said Dr Peter Lurie, a former official at the US Food and Drug Administration, in an interview with the BBC.

 

Dr Paul Offit, director of the Vaccine Education Center at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and one of the inventors of the rotavirus vaccine, described mRNA vaccines as “remarkably safe” and said they played a vital role in curbing severe Covid-19 infections. He disputed Kennedy’s suggestion that vaccines drive mutations, pointing out that viruses naturally mutate every year — with or without vaccines — as seen in the case of influenza.

 

“mRNA vaccines were critical in stopping the pandemic and saving millions of lives,” Dr Offit said. He also warned that the funding cancellation could leave the country in a “more dangerous” position should another pandemic emerge, noting that mRNA platforms offer faster development timelines compared to traditional vaccines.

 

BARDA confirmed that it would now focus its investment on vaccine platforms with what it called “stronger safety records and transparent clinical and manufacturing data practices.” Traditional vaccines, which often use inactivated viruses to trigger immune responses, are being prioritized under this strategy. In contrast, mRNA vaccines function by instructing human cells to produce proteins that simulate a viral infection, prompting the immune system to build defenses.

 

Kennedy’s latest decision is part of a broader overhaul of federal vaccine policy since he assumed office. In June, he dismissed all 17 members of the committee responsible for advising on national immunization schedules, replacing them with individuals known for casting doubt on vaccine safety and efficacy. He has also removed the Covid-19 vaccine from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s immunization recommendations for healthy children and pregnant women.

 

Despite Kennedy’s controversial stance, Moderna and Pfizer’s mRNA vaccines were thoroughly tested in large-scale clinical trials and have consistently been found to be both safe and effective, health authorities say. The ongoing debate has raised concerns about the future of evidence-based vaccine policy in the United States as it faces ongoing and emerging public health threats.

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from Source BBC  2025-08-07

 

 

Trumps minions have us pedaling backwards just as fast as he can…..this appointee is going to get folks killed in my opinion.god help us if something serious like Ebola or similar get loose in the states……THANKS REPUBLICANS……just beggers belief.

2 hours ago, Social Media said:

 

RFK Jr Scraps $500 Million mRNA Vaccine Program, Sparking Backlash from Health Experts

 

US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr has cancelled half a billion dollars in federal funding for the development of mRNA vaccines targeting viruses such as Covid-19 and the flu, igniting sharp criticism from public health officials and scientists.

 

The $500 million cut will halt 22 ongoing projects overseen by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), including major efforts by pharmaceutical giants Pfizer and Moderna. These programs were aimed at developing vaccines for viruses such as bird flu, Covid-19, and other respiratory illnesses. The funding was originally administered by the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), a division of HHS.

 

Kennedy, a known vaccine sceptic, defended the move by claiming mRNA vaccines are more harmful than beneficial when used against respiratory viruses. “We reviewed the science, listened to the experts, and acted,” Kennedy said in a statement. “The data show these vaccines fail to protect effectively against upper respiratory infections like COVID and flu.” He added that the funds will be redirected toward “safer, broader vaccine platforms that remain effective even as viruses mutate.”

 

Kennedy further argued that mRNA vaccines might be contributing to the evolution of new virus strains. “mRNA vaccines can help encourage new mutations and can actually prolong pandemics as the virus constantly mutates to escape the protective effects of the vaccine,” he claimed.

However, medical experts strongly rejected Kennedy’s assertions, warning that the cancellation jeopardises national readiness for future pandemics. “This is the US turning its back on one of the most promising tools to fight the next pandemic,” said Dr Peter Lurie, a former official at the US Food and Drug Administration, in an interview with the BBC.

 

Dr Paul Offit, director of the Vaccine Education Center at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and one of the inventors of the rotavirus vaccine, described mRNA vaccines as “remarkably safe” and said they played a vital role in curbing severe Covid-19 infections. He disputed Kennedy’s suggestion that vaccines drive mutations, pointing out that viruses naturally mutate every year — with or without vaccines — as seen in the case of influenza.

 

“mRNA vaccines were critical in stopping the pandemic and saving millions of lives,” Dr Offit said. He also warned that the funding cancellation could leave the country in a “more dangerous” position should another pandemic emerge, noting that mRNA platforms offer faster development timelines compared to traditional vaccines.

 

BARDA confirmed that it would now focus its investment on vaccine platforms with what it called “stronger safety records and transparent clinical and manufacturing data practices.” Traditional vaccines, which often use inactivated viruses to trigger immune responses, are being prioritized under this strategy. In contrast, mRNA vaccines function by instructing human cells to produce proteins that simulate a viral infection, prompting the immune system to build defenses.

 

Kennedy’s latest decision is part of a broader overhaul of federal vaccine policy since he assumed office. In June, he dismissed all 17 members of the committee responsible for advising on national immunization schedules, replacing them with individuals known for casting doubt on vaccine safety and efficacy. He has also removed the Covid-19 vaccine from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s immunization recommendations for healthy children and pregnant women.

 

Despite Kennedy’s controversial stance, Moderna and Pfizer’s mRNA vaccines were thoroughly tested in large-scale clinical trials and have consistently been found to be both safe and effective, health authorities say. The ongoing debate has raised concerns about the future of evidence-based vaccine policy in the United States as it faces ongoing and emerging public health threats.

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from Source BBC  2025-08-07

 

 

This makes sure that some other country will capture a multibillion dollar business.  Thank you USA for your resounding stupidity.🤣

Making America ........Again ?

major news.

so there won't be a Covid 2.0 circus coming any time soon. 

 

The guy is a clown............close the thread.......

I believe that Pfizer made somewhere around $31 billion dollars in profit during the Covid heydays.  I believe in free market capitalism.  Let Big Pharma fund their own R&D instead of providing corporate welfare.  Nothing is stopping Pfizer and friends from continuing mRNA research on their own dime.
Enough of "Privatize The Profits And Socialize The Losses (and expenses)."

3 hours ago, Social Media said:

said Dr Peter Lurie, a former official at the US Food and Drug Administration, in an interview with the BBC.

 

Just for giggles, I looked up where this "former official" is now.  This is from his profile:

 

Peter Lurie (he/him/his) is the President and Executive Director of CSPI. 

 

(he/him/his) Need I say more? 

 

US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr has cancelled half a billion dollars in federal funding for the development of mRNA vaccines targeting viruses such as Covid-19 and the flu, igniting sharp criticism from public health officials and scientists big pharma and those funded by big pharma.

If the programs are so great, maybe the other 96% of the world can take up the funding.

 

 

12 minutes ago, impulse said:

If the programs are so great, maybe the other 96% of the world can take up the funding.

 

 

The mRNA vaccine was a worldwide effort. Scientists in in the UK, USA, Canada, EU and Australia had worked out the sequencing. Pfizer used  technology from Bion Tech, a Germany entity. Canada had done extensive work on the original Sars vaccine and was developing an ebola vaccine. Critical vaccine  components were sourced from the EU.  mRNA vaccines had been researched and tested around the world since the 1990's.  The US funding helped deliver the vaccine in the USA faster. The Covid vaccine was not a solitary US effort, although the USA's support was pivotal in curtailing the epidemic much faster than had it continued to rage.

 

 

28 minutes ago, impulse said:

 

Just for giggles, I looked up where this "former official" is now.  This is from his profile:

 

Peter Lurie (he/him/his) is the President and Executive Director of CSPI. 

 

(he/him/his) Need I say more? 

 

 

You obviously are not employed in a firm with skilled personnel, under the age of 40, or at a multinational position. Although I decline to use such references, many of my co-workers do. People at Google, Apple, large financial institutions, accounting firms etc. use this nomenclature. It is nothing new.  All you are doing is saying, is that you have not worked in the modern world for at least 5 years, and are a 65+ year old that time passed by long ago.

1 minute ago, Patong2021 said:

 

You obviously are not employed in a firm with skilled personnel, under the age of 40, or at a multinational position. Although I decline to use such references, many of my co-workers do. People at Google, Apple, large financial institutions, accounting firms etc. use this nomenclature. It is nothing new.  All you are doing is saying, is that you have not worked in the modern world for at least 5 years, and are a 65+ year old that time passed by long ago.

 

History will look back at he/him/his with the derision it deserves.  Like the Nehru jacket.

 

31 minutes ago, impulse said:

If the programs are so great, maybe the other 96% of the world can take up the funding.

 

 

Have you noticed?
The 'rest of the world' has already been doing a great job of picking up the broken pieces of America and redirecting them to more rational sources of supply. Eventually, the US may find itself cut off from doing business with the rest of the world as more countries seek better business partners.

4 minutes ago, impulse said:

 

History will look back at he/him/his with the derision it deserves.  Like the Nehru jacket.

 

History is already looking back at the "safety" and "effectiveness" of the mRNA Covid-19 "vaccine" and it shows some glaring inadequacies and dangers.

13 minutes ago, dinsdale said:

History is already looking back at the "safety" and "effectiveness" of the mRNA Covid-19 "vaccine" and it shows some glaring inadequacies and dangers.

 

But there's a huge contingent of people that will never accept the updated studies.  Because if they did, they'd have to admit they were complicit in massive human rights violations.

 

19 minutes ago, FolkGuitar said:

Have you noticed?
The 'rest of the world' has already been doing a great job of picking up the broken pieces of America and redirecting them to more rational sources of supply. Eventually, the US may find itself cut off from doing business with the rest of the world as more countries seek better business partners.

 

You've been watching MSDNC and CNN, haven't you?  Rational news sources know it is way too early in the process to draw any conclusions.

 

14 minutes ago, impulse said:

 

You've been watching MSDNC and CNN, haven't you?  Rational news sources know it is way too early in the process to draw any conclusions.

 

Reuters, BBC, Al Jazeera, ABC, CBS, and several others.
I've always found it wise to ignore the man with just one book.

His story seems to have bounced from vaccines being the cause of autism to they cause changes in the virus. 

And each time, real scientists make clear he doesn't know what he is talking about.

 

No brainer.....ballroom

Kennedy is just another example, like his friend in the White House, of someone dabbling in an area he knows nothing about.

There are MRNA products in trial now that can reverse some cancers. We are on the verge of a medical miracle that Kennedy wants to walk away from. The GQP is now in the death cult stage, confirming their fascist intentions.

Well done, RFK Jr.

I am sure the rest of the world won't care a jot, the yanks have already created the biggest measles outbreak in years, let them pray to the idiot of a god they so love, when it suits, to save them  555

For his HHS confirmation, RFK Jr. told the Senate:

'I don’t think people should be taking medical advice from me.'

Then, as Health Secretary, he:

– Claims mRNA vaccines 'cause more harm than benefit'
– Cuts H5N1 bird flu vaccine funding
– Weakens CDC vaccine guidelines
– Promotes raw milk — even after outbreaks hospitalized children
– Pushes bogus measles remedies — like cod liver oil and antibiotics
– Cuts cancer research
 

He calls his views 'irrelevant' — then rewrites national health policy based entirely on them.
 

I used to laugh at that 90s sci-fi show where alien brain worms ran the world — Stargate, I think.
Turns out it wasn’t sci-fi — it was prophecy.

The US Government was funding research into something that big pharmaceutical companies made profits from.  Have I got this right?

 

 

49 minutes ago, Andycoops said:

I am sure the rest of the world won't care a jot, the yanks have already created the biggest measles outbreak in years, let them pray to the idiot of a god they so love, when it suits, to save them  555

 

Except that the European region has about 50x the number of measles cases that the USA has...  The UK, with 1/5 the US population, has just as many measles cases, and Canada, with 1/15 the US population is pretty close to the same number of measles cases.

 

The common thread isn't RFK, Jr or even Trump.  It's unvetted migrants from the 3rd world.

 

European Region:  European Region reports highest number of measles cases in more than 25 years – UNICEF, WHO/Europe

 

https://www.who.int/

 

 

Canada:  Measles and Rubella Weekly Monitoring Report — Canada.ca

 

https://health-infobase.canada.ca/

 

I'll let someone else look up the UK...

 

 

 

The world knows he's an idiot.

MRNA ist the future in science creating personalized cancer treatment and vaccines for the next epedemia. 

Good, that Biontech and Pfizer invest in UK labs and turn away from USA

28 minutes ago, Watawattana said:

The US Government was funding research into something that big pharmaceutical companies made profits from.  Have I got this right?

 

 

Not only that have immunity from being sued if their product turns out to be not as safe as promised..

39 minutes ago, impulse said:

 

Except that the European region has about 50x the number of measles cases that the USA has...  The UK, with 1/5 the US population, has just as many measles cases, and Canada, with 1/15 the US population is pretty close to the same number of measles cases.

 

The common thread isn't RFK, Jr or even Trump.  It's unvetted migrants from the 3rd world.

 

European Region:  European Region reports highest number of measles cases in more than 25 years – UNICEF, WHO/Europe

 

https://www.who.int/

 

 

Canada:  Measles and Rubella Weekly Monitoring Report — Canada.ca

 

https://health-infobase.canada.ca/

 

I'll let someone else look up the UK...

 

 

 

Not acknowledging this and not providing (measles)-vaccines for everybody is his crime