RFK Jr. pulls $500 million in funding for vaccine development
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the health secretary and a longtime vaccine critic, announced in a statement Tuesday that $500 million worth of vaccine development projects, all using mRNA technology, will be halted.
The projects — 22 of them — are being led by some of the nation's leading pharmaceutical companies like Pfizer and Moderna to prevent flu, COVID-19 and H5N1 infections.
The mRNA vaccines are credited with slowing the 2020 coronavirus pandemic.
Kennedy said in the Tuesday statement that he wants the health department to move away from mRNA vaccines, calling on the department to start 'investing in better solutions.' He provided no details on what those technologies might be.
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Burning eyes, scratchy throats: Canadian wildfire smoke is making Americans miserable
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Analysis-Struggling US healthcare stocks endure rough 2025 but draw some bargain hunters
By Lewis Krauskopf NEW YORK (Reuters) -Woes for U.S. healthcare stocks have worsened this year driven partly by Trump administration policies, although some investors are betting that the beaten-down shares are now becoming too much of a bargain to pass up. The S&P 500 healthcare sector -- which includes pharmaceutical companies, biotechs, health insurers and medical equipment makers -- has slumped 5% in 2025, lagging the over 7% gain for the overall index. Pressure to bring down U.S. prescription drug prices to overseas rates, tariffs targeted at pharmaceuticals and cuts to areas such as health research funding and Medicaid are among the Trump administration actions clouding the outlook for the shares this year, investors said. Regulatory obstacles are compounding issues, including expiring drug patents and setbacks for bellwethers including UnitedHealth Group. 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