Latest news with #vaccinedevelopment
Times
2 days ago
- Health
- Times
I developed mRNA vaccines. RFK Jr is endangering US public health
The US government has dropped a 'bomb on themselves' by pulling $500 million in funding for developing mRNA vaccines, the Nobel-prize winning scientist behind the technology has warned. Professor Katalin Karikó said Robert F Kennedy Jr, the US health secretary, was driving American scientists to China by terminating 22 contracts with university researchers and companies developing vaccines for infections such as Covid-19 and the flu. Justifying his decision, Kennedy said that mRNA vaccine technology 'poses more risk than benefits' — a claim that is not supported by data and which has been widely criticised by the scientific community. He intends to prioritise developing vaccine platforms that are more than 50 years old. 'They have dropped a bomb on themselves,' said Karikó, who helped develop the mRNA technology that formed the backbone of Pfizer and Moderna's Covid-19 vaccines. 'They are so uninformed. It is a lack of knowledge.'
CBC
6 days ago
- Health
- CBC
RFK Jr.'s move to axe $500M in vaccine funding slammed
U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has announced a $500-million cut to funding for mRNA vaccine development, insisting the technology used in COVID-19 vaccines poses risks. Many medical experts say the reasoning is untrue and could slow development of future vaccinations.
Forbes
7 days ago
- Health
- Forbes
RFK Jr. Cuts mRNA Vaccine Research, Defunding Emergency Preparedness
Health and Human Services Secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., announced yesterday that the federal government's emergency preparedness agency, Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, will no longer fund work on messenger RNA vaccines. BARDA is terminating 22 grants supporting development of mRNA vaccines, worth a total of $500 million. The agency's ending of new federal investments in mRNA technology was presaged earlier this year by substantial cuts imposed by the Department of HHS when it terminated dozens of mRNA-related research projects. Most of the canceled grants concerned work related to vaccine hesitancy and uptake of vaccinations, but several were on clinical development of mRNA vaccines. The mRNA vaccine platform was famously deployed during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, allowing for the creation, testing and regulatory approval of vaccines within 11 months of the sharing of the genetic sequence of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes COVID-19. The Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines each contain mRNA, which instructs cells to manufacture the coronavirus spike protein, simulating infection with the virus. This induces an immune system response to the spike protein that is present on the coronavirus. Prior to 2020, no vaccine had ever been developed and produced so quickly, and no other existing vaccine platform can match the speed and scale of mRNA technology. These are considered crucial attributes, not only with respect to COVID-19, but also for pandemic preparedness more generally. However, Kennedy apparently sees it differently, posting on X: 'We reviewed the science, listened to the experts, and acted. BARDA is terminating 22 mRNA vaccine development investments because the data show these vaccines fail to protect effectively against upper respiratory infections like COVID and flu. We're shifting that funding toward safer, broader vaccine platforms that remain effective even as viruses mutate.' It's unclear which experts Kennedy listened to, or what science he and his team reviewed. STAT News reports that vaccinologists who they spoke to say the views Kennedy expressed in the HHS statement do 'not represent the scientific consensus on the utility and safety of mRNA vaccines.' Based on the statement, this likely means a halt to all new BARDA funding of vaccine development targeting upper respiratory infections, which includes COVID-19 and influenza, but also respiratory syncytial virus and bird flu. HHS states that 'other uses of mRNA technology within the department are not impacted' by the termination of contracts. While this may apply to BARDA, it doesn't pertain to the HHS 'department' as a whole. According to The Atlantic, partnerships between the National Institutes of Health and HIV vaccine researchers have been terminated under Kennedy's watch. The federal government is not planning to continue funding their work. Given that such disruption is occurring in the HIV space, perhaps other diseases will be affected, too. mRNA vaccines are also being developed to prevent melanoma and lung cancer, malaria, Lyme disease and Zika, as well as to protect newborns from congenital infections like cytomegalovirus. Kennedy's moves represent the latest setback to mRNA research. While researchers Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman received a Nobel prize in 2023 for their mRNA work aimed at preventing and treating a wide range of diseases, during their decades of work they had to overcome numerous challenges. Since the 1960s, there was consensus around the critical role that mRNA plays as a translator of sorts in protein synthesis—the process responsible for almost all cellular functions in the human body. This helical strand of molecules allows for information contained in DNA in the nucleus of cells to be delivered to ribosomes where protein synthesis can occur. However, scientists expressed doubts pertaining to the therapeutic viability of mRNA products: mRNA was considered too unstable and limited in its ability to produce an immune response. Karikó and Weissman persisted in their mRNA research because they fervently believed that the platform held the future for vaccinations that could trigger the immune system to fight numerous types of diseases. They were ultimately proven right when mRNA COVID-19 vaccines successfully saved at least 2.5 million lives globally, with other estimates pointing to as many as 20 million.
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
RFK Jr. to wind down $500M mRNA vaccine development
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said on Tuesday it would wind down mRNA vaccine development activities under its biomedical research unit. The unit, Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, helps companies develop medical supplies to address public health threats, and had provided billions of dollars for development of vaccines during the COVID-19 pandemic. HHS said the wind down includes cancellation of a contract awarded to Moderna for the late-stage development of its bird flu vaccine for humans and the right to purchase the shots, as previously reported in May. The U.S. health agency said it was also rejecting or canceling multiple pre-award solicitations, including proposals from Pfizer, Sanofi Pasteur, CSL Seqirus, Gritstone and others. This is the latest development under U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a long-time vaccine skeptic who has been making sweeping changes to reshape vaccines, food and medicine policies. Kennedy said the HHS is terminating these programs because data show these vaccines "fail to protect effectively against upper respiratory infections like COVID and flu," but did not offer scientific evidence. "We're shifting that funding toward safer, broader vaccine platforms that remain effective even as viruses mutate," Kennedy said. Did you see? President Trump's favorite candymaker is not RFK-approved. Is a clash brewing? In total, the decision affects 22 projects worth nearly $500 million, the agency said. HHS said the decision follows a comprehensive review of mRNA-related investments initiated during the COVID-19 public health emergency. Reporting by Christy Santhosh in Bengaluru; Editing by Leroy Leo This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: RFK Jr. to shutter $500M mRNA vaccine development Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
06-08-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Trump Administration to Wind Down mRNA Vaccine Development
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., U.S. secretary of Health and Human Services, speaks during an executive order signing ceremony in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington, D.C., on July 31, 2025. Credit - Eric Lee—BloombergThe U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) said on Tuesday that it will start winding down mRNA vaccine development efforts under a federal health agency focused on developing medical countermeasures to address public health emergencies. mRNA vaccines have been credited by public health experts with saving millions of lives during the COVID-19 pandemic, and many infectious disease experts have stressed that years of research have shown the shots are both safe and effective. But HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a prominent vaccine skeptic, claimed in a statement accompanying HHS's announcement that 'data show these vaccines fail to protect effectively against upper respiratory infections like COVID and flu.' The move, which HHS said comes after 'a comprehensive review of mRNA-related investments initiated during the COVID-19 public health emergency,' will involve canceling and de-scoping various contracts under the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA). The 'wind-down' will impact 22 projects that come out to a total of nearly $500 million, according to HHS's press release. 'We're shifting that funding toward safer, broader vaccine platforms that remain effective even as viruses mutate,' Kennedy said. Kennedy has faced widespread criticism from public health experts over the years for spreading medical disinformation, including about vaccines. His nomination by President Donald Trump in November to lead HHS sparked outcry from the science and medical communities, but he was ultimately confirmed to the role in February. Read More: Measles Cases Are at a 33-Year High. Experts Warn Other Diseases Could Follow Tuesday's announcement marks HHS's latest move under Kennedy's leadership to significantly change the country's immunization policy. In May, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said that it will stop recommending annual COVID-19 vaccines for children and most adults. In June, Kennedy said that he would be retiring all 17 members of a committee that provides recommendations on vaccines to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Kennedy appointed new members to the committee, and last month, HHS adopted a controversial recommendation from the panel to remove the preservative thimerosal from flu vaccines, despite extensive research showing it to be safe in the small amounts included in some shots. HHS said on Tuesday that 'some final-stage contracts … will be allowed to run their course to preserve prior taxpayer investment,' but that 'no new mRNA-based projects will be initiated.' The agency said that 'other uses of mRNA technology within the department are not impacted' by the move. It also said that BARDA will shift its focus to 'platforms with stronger safety records and transparent clinical and manufacturing data practices,' adding that "technologies that were funded during the emergency phase but failed to meet current scientific standards will be phased out in favor of evidence-based, ethically grounded solutions - like whole-virus vaccines and novel platforms.' Contact us at letters@
