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Yahoo
2 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Why Trump turned against ‘gold standard' mRNA vaccines
President Trump's administration has slammed the brakes on development of messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines, which proved their lifesaving potential during the COVID-19 pandemic but have come under increasing scrutiny among skeptics of mainstream science. The vaccines marked a breakthrough in medical technology, drastically reducing the timeline for development of targeted vaccines and even showing promise in cancer research. Trump called mRNA the 'gold standard' when he rolled out the first COVID-19 vaccines. But now they are under assault by Trump's Health and Human Services (HHS) secretary, longtime anti-vaccine advocate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and his allies in the 'make America healthy again' movement. HHS in late May canceled $766 million awarded to Moderna through the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) to develop a potential mRNA vaccine for bird flu. HHS spokesperson Andrew Nixon said of the decision, 'This is not simply about efficacy — it's about safety, integrity, and trust.' 'The reality is that mRNA technology remains under-tested, and we are not going to spend taxpayer dollars repeating the mistakes of the last administration, which concealed legitimate safety concerns from the public,' he added. Unlike traditional vaccines that contain fragments or weakened versions of a virus, mRNA vaccines send messenger ribonucleic acid into cells to teach the immune system to recognize proteins connected to virus cells. According to Joseph Varon, president and chief medical officer of the Independent Medical Alliance (IMA), the concerns for mRNA vaccine skeptics are the expedited timeline and conditions in which the COVID-19 vaccine was approved. 'The biggest concern is that this rushed treatment still remains in use, even under an Emergency Use Authorization in some cases. It needs to be sent back through proper studies and vetting,' Varon told The Hill. 'There needs to be an established database of vaccine injuries that can be accurately quantified with full transparency, without politics or big money pressure influencing the data,' he added. 'There's a growing body of peer-reviewed studies that indicate the spike proteins are causing havoc in certain recipients.' The IMA, previously known as Front Line COVID-19 Critical Care Alliance, launched a campaign in support of Kennedy's nomination to be HHS secretary. The group drew controversy when its founders promoted ivermectin as a 'miracle drug' for COVID-19. Myocarditis, or inflammation of the heart muscle, is of particular concern among mRNA vaccine opponents. An analysis published in 2022 found that myocarditis occurred in about 31.2 cases per 1 million second doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, or 0.003 percent. Rates of myocarditis are significantly higher among people with COVID-19 infections than immunizations, however. The development of the COVID-19 mRNA vaccine was aided by the Trump administration's Operation Warp Speed, something Trump has boasted about at numerous points. In remarks in December 2020, the same month the first COVID-19 vaccines were deployed, Trump praised Operation Warp Speed's ability to develop a SARS-CoV-2 vaccine at a 'breakneck speed,' adding 'the gold standard vaccine has been done in less than nine months.' Though research on mRNA and its potential uses has been ongoing for decades, use of the vaccines in humans is relatively new. The first mRNA vaccine candidate tested in humans was for rabies in 2013, but it wouldn't be until the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 that this technology would achieve commercial viability and widespread use. To Kennedy, this is too much of a coincidence. In his book 'The Wuhan Cover-Up: And the Terrifying Bioweapons Arms Race,' published in 2023, Kennedy suggests it was more than just happenstance that allowed for the deployment of Moderna's mRNA technology to coincide with the global pandemic. He pointed to a meeting attended by Dr. Anthony Fauci and former BARDA Director Rick Bright in which the officials met with virologists months before the COVID-19 pandemic broke out. The fact that attendees discussed the need for innovation in influenza research and vaccines became a point of conspiracy online. Kennedy noted that Bright called for something 'completely disruptive, that's not beholden to bureaucratic strings and processes,' writing, '[Bright] hinted that only a global crisis — like a pandemic — could induce government and industry to commit the billions of dollars necessary to create a new generation of 'plug-and-play' mRNA vaccines.' In the conversation Kennedy references, Bright was discussing the challenges of making influenza research 'sexy' for Ph.D. and postdoctoral students, surmising that something 'completely disruptive' would be needed to incite excitement in the field. Proponents of the mRNA technology point to its deployment in the COVID-19 pandemic and its role in reducing transmission as evidence of safety and efficacy. 'In the U.S., you know, we have a lot of real-world experience now with huge numbers of doses given. We have been following for significant or serious adverse events for a long time, and the rate of those serious adverse events is on par with what we see for other vaccines,' E. John Wherry, director of the Institute for Immunology and Immune Health at the University of Pennsylvania, said of mRNA vaccines. As Wherry notes, all vaccines have adverse side effects, but their safety compared with the diseases they inoculate against is 'incontrovertible.' And while critics take issue with the speed at which mRNA vaccines are developed, Wherry said this difference is precisely what sets these shots apart from older generations. 'mRNA vaccines have a couple of key benefits or features that really stand out compared to other vaccine platforms. One, they can be generated very, very quickly. So, you can adapt to changes very rapidly. This is much easier with an mRNA vaccine, where the COVID strain or flu strain mutates and changes from year to year,' Wherry said. 'The second is that it's relatively simple. So, we don't have to worry about, you know, impurities in, you know, an egg-grown vaccine or a cell-based grown vaccine synthesizing mRNA. There are very few components that go into it, and it can be synthesized with high purity.' Such mRNA vaccines are also potentially applicable for numerous conditions or even multiple different strains of the same virus, giving it more flexibility than traditional vaccinations. 'So, there are substantial benefits in flexibility, in speed, in simplicity of manufacturing and that probably also affects the cost of goods at the end of the day, which is perhaps a last advantage,' Wherry added. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
2 days ago
- Health
- The Hill
Why Trump turned against ‘gold standard' mRNA vaccines
President Trump's administration has slammed the brakes on development of messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines, which proved their lifesaving potential during the COVID-19 pandemic but have come under increasing scrutiny among skeptics of mainstream science. The vaccines marked a breakthrough in medical technology, drastically reducing the timeline for development of targeted vaccines and even showing promise in cancer research. Trump called mRNA the 'gold standard' when he rolled out the first COVID-19 vaccines. But now they are under assault by Trump's Health and Human Services (HHS) secretary, longtime anti-vaccine advocate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and his allies in the 'make America healthy again' movement. HHS in late May canceled $766 million awarded to Moderna through the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) to develop a potential mRNA vaccine for bird flu. HHS spokesperson Andrew Nixon said of the decision, 'This is not simply about efficacy — it's about safety, integrity, and trust.' 'The reality is that mRNA technology remains under-tested, and we are not going to spend taxpayer dollars repeating the mistakes of the last administration, which concealed legitimate safety concerns from the public,' he added. Unlike traditional vaccines that contain fragments or weakened versions of a virus, mRNA vaccines send messenger ribonucleic acid into cells to teach the immune system to recognize proteins connected to virus cells. According to Joseph Varon, president and chief medical officer of the Independent Medical Alliance (IMA), the concerns for mRNA vaccine skeptics are the expedited timeline and conditions in which the COVID-19 vaccine was approved. 'The biggest concern is that this rushed treatment still remains in use, even under an Emergency Use Authorization in some cases. It needs to be sent back through proper studies and vetting,' Varon told The Hill. 'There needs to be an established database of vaccine injuries that can be accurately quantified with full transparency, without politics or big money pressure influencing the data,' he added. 'There's a growing body of peer-reviewed studies that indicate the spike proteins are causing havoc in certain recipients.' The IMA, previously known as Front Line COVID-19 Critical Care Alliance, launched a campaign in support of Kennedy's nomination to be HHS secretary. The group drew controversy when its founders promoted ivermectin as a 'miracle drug' for COVID-19. Myocarditis, or inflammation of the heart muscle, is of particular concern among mRNA vaccine opponents. An analysis published in 2022 found that myocarditis occurred in about 31.2 cases per 1 million second doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, or 0.003 percent. Rates of myocarditis are significantly higher among people with COVID-19 infections than immunizations, however. The development of the COVID-19 mRNA vaccine was aided by the Trump administration's Operation Warp Speed, something Trump has boasted about at numerous points. In remarks in December 2020, the same month the first COVID-19 vaccines were deployed, Trump praised Operation Warp Speed's ability to develop a SARS-CoV-2 vaccine at a 'breakneck speed,' adding 'the gold standard vaccine has been done in less than nine months.' Though research on mRNA and its potential uses has been ongoing for decades, use of the vaccines in humans is relatively new. The first mRNA vaccine candidate tested in humans was for rabies in 2013, but it wouldn't be until the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 that this technology would achieve commercial viability and widespread use. To Kennedy, this is too much of a coincidence. In his book 'The Wuhan Cover-Up: And the Terrifying Bioweapons Arms Race,' published in 2023, Kennedy suggests it was more than just happenstance that allowed for the deployment of Moderna's mRNA technology to coincide with the global pandemic. He pointed to a meeting attended by Dr. Anthony Fauci and former BARDA Director Rick Bright in which the officials met with virologists months before the COVID-19 pandemic broke out. The fact that attendees discussed the need for innovation in influenza research and vaccines became a point of conspiracy online. Kennedy noted that Bright called for something 'completely disruptive, that's not beholden to bureaucratic strings and processes,' writing, '[Bright] hinted that only a global crisis — like a pandemic — could induce government and industry to commit the billions of dollars necessary to create a new generation of 'plug-and-play' mRNA vaccines.' In the conversation Kennedy references, Bright was discussing the challenges of making influenza research 'sexy' for Ph.D. and postdoctoral students, surmising that something 'completely disruptive' would be needed to incite excitement in the field. Proponents of the mRNA technology point to its deployment in the COVID-19 pandemic and its role in reducing transmission as evidence of safety and efficacy. 'In the U.S., you know, we have a lot of real-world experience now with huge numbers of doses given. We have been following for significant or serious adverse events for a long time, and the rate of those serious adverse events is on par with what we see for other vaccines,' E. John Wherry, director of the Institute for Immunology and Immune Health at the University of Pennsylvania, said of mRNA vaccines. As Wherry notes, all vaccines have adverse side effects, but their safety compared with the diseases they inoculate against is 'incontrovertible.' And while critics take issue with the speed at which mRNA vaccines are developed, Wherry said this difference is precisely what sets these shots apart from older generations. 'mRNA vaccines have a couple of key benefits or features that really stand out compared to other vaccine platforms. One, they can be generated very, very quickly. So, you can adapt to changes very rapidly. This is much easier with an mRNA vaccine, where the COVID strain or flu strain mutates and changes from year to year,' Wherry said. 'The second is that it's relatively simple. So, we don't have to worry about, you know, impurities in, you know, an egg-grown vaccine or a cell-based grown vaccine synthesizing mRNA. There are very few components that go into it, and it can be synthesized with high purity.' Such mRNA vaccines are also potentially applicable for numerous conditions or even multiple different strains of the same virus, giving it more flexibility than traditional vaccinations. 'So, there are substantial benefits in flexibility, in speed, in simplicity of manufacturing and that probably also affects the cost of goods at the end of the day, which is perhaps a last advantage,' Wherry added.
Toronto Sun
28-05-2025
- Health
- Toronto Sun
COVID vaccine 'strongly recommended' during pregnancy, Canadian doctors say
Published May 28, 2025 • 1 minute read A vial of Moderna COVID-19 vaccine rests on a table at an inoculation station in Jackson, Miss., on July 19, 2022. Photo by Rogelio V. Solis / AP Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page. TORONTO — Canada's gynecologists say COVID-19 vaccination is 'strongly recommended' during pregnancy and while breastfeeding. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account The Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada issued the statement Wednesday, a day after U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. declared the shot no longer recommended for healthy children and pregnant women south of the border. The Canadian group says pregnant women who become infected with COVID-19 are more likely to be hospitalized and require intensive care than women who are not pregnant. They also say getting vaccinated helps protect against serious complications associated with the virus, such as preterm birth. Citing 'an age of growing misinformation and disinformation,' the statement urges women and health-care providers to rely on 'evidence-based science and clinical expertise' to make vaccine decisions. Kennedy has long been a prominent anti-vaccine activist in the United States. — With files from The Associated Press. For more health news and content around diseases, conditions, wellness, healthy living, drugs, treatments and more, head to – a member of the Postmedia Network. Toronto & GTA Canada Tennis Canada Toronto & GTA
Toronto Sun
28-05-2025
- Health
- Toronto Sun
New COVID-19 variant may be driving up cases in some parts of the world, WHO says
Published May 28, 2025 • 1 minute read A vial of Moderna COVID-19 vaccine rests on a table at an inoculation station in Jackson, Miss., on July 19, 2022. Photo by Rogelio V. Solis / AP COVID-19 cases are rising again as a new variant begins to circulate in some parts of the world. The World Health Organization said Wednesday the rise in cases is primarily in the eastern Mediterranean, Southeast Asia and western Pacific regions. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Airport screening in the United States has detected the new variant in travellers arriving from those regions to destinations in California, Washington state, Virginia and New York. The new variant is called NB.1.8.1. It arrives as the United States' official stance on COVID-19 vaccination is changing. On Tuesday, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced that COVID-19 shots are no longer recommended for healthy children and pregnant women — a move immediately questioned by several public health experts. The new variant, increasing globally, had by mid-May reached nearly 11% of sequenced samples reported. The WHO has designated it a 'variant under monitoring' and considers the public health risk low at the global level with current vaccines expected to remain effective. The WHO said some western Pacific countries have reported increases in COVID cases and hospitalizations, but there's nothing so far to suggest that the disease associated with the new variant is more severe compared to other variants. The variant called LP.8.1 is currently the dominant version in the U.S. and globally. Canada Music Editorial Cartoons Tennis Crime
Toronto Sun
20-05-2025
- Health
- Toronto Sun
WHO members adopt a 'pandemic agreement' born out of the disjointed global COVID response
Published May 20, 2025 • 1 minute read A vial of Moderna COVID-19 vaccine rests on a table at an inoculation station in Jackson, Miss., on July 19, 2022. Photo by Rogelio V. Solis, File / AP Photo GENEVA (AP) — The World Health Organization's member countries on Tuesday approved an agreement to better prevent, prepare for and respond to future pandemics in the wake of the devastation wrought by the coronavirus. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Sustained applause echoed in a Geneva hall hosting the WHO's annual assembly as the measure — debated and devised over three years — passed without opposition. The treaty guarantees that countries which share virus samples will receive tests, medicines and vaccines. Up to 20% of such products would be given to the WHO to ensure poorer countries have some access to them when the next pandemic hits. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has touted the agreement as 'historic' and a sign of multilateralism at a time when many countries are putting national interests ahead of shared values and cooperation. Dr. Esperance Luvindao, Namibia's health minister and the chair of a committee that paved the way for Tuesday's adoption, said that the COVID-19 pandemic inflicted huge costs 'on lives, livelihoods and economies.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'We — as sovereign states — have resolved to join hands, as one world together, so we can protect our children, elders, frontline health workers and all others from the next pandemic,' Luvindao added. 'It is our duty and responsibility to humanity.' The treaty's effectiveness will face doubts because the United States — which poured billions into speedy work by pharmaceutical companies to develop COVID-19 vaccines — is sitting out, and because countries face no penalties if they ignore it, a common issue in international law. The U.S., traditionally the top donor to the U.N. health agency, was not part of the final stages of the agreement process after the Trump administration announced a U.S. pullout from the WHO and funding to the agency in January.
