Ars Technica will contact NIH and HHS for comments and update this story with new information provided. The agency did not respond to requests for comment from KFF.
Kennedy’s false news
Before becoming the top health official in the United States, Kennedy long won against vaccines, becoming one of the world’s most prominent anti-vaccin advocates, and became the most prolific spreader of misinformation and disinformation about vaccines. A 2019 survey found Kennedy was the only major source of Facebook’s anti-vaccine ads. Kennedy then faced a ban from YouTube, Facebookand Instagram to spread misinformation.
Researchers directly condemn Kennedy and the Trump administration for attacks on vaccine research.
“The Kennedy vaccine war has begun,” a Philadelphia mRNA vaccine researcher told KFF.
“There is no NIH-funded research on mRNA vaccines,” a New York scientist told the outlet as well. “The people at Maga are sure these vaccines have killed and hurt tens of thousands of people. That’s not true, but they believe it.”
Kennedy has generally issued various statements on vaccines and specifically provided mRNA vaccines. He falsely claimed that the vaccine causes serious harm, including causing neurodegenerative diseases; Parkinson’s disease, etc.. In the midst of the pandemic, 2021, Kennedy petitioned the Food and Drug Administration. To revoke approval for the Covid-19 vaccine and refrain from approval of future Covid-19 vaccines. Meanwhile, a 2022 study revealed that vaccines were Saved over 3 million lives It prevented more than 18 million hospitalizations.
The recent moves for the NIH are not the first indication that Kennedy will use his powerful position to attack the mRNA vaccine. Later last month, Bloomberg reported that HHS was considering cancelling $590 million grant to vaccine maker Modernina Develop mRNA vaccine against potential pandemic flu virus. This includes the H5N1 virus that currently destroys poultry in the US and spreads wildly to dairy cows.
A HHS spokesperson told the media at the time. “It is important for the US sector and health and human services to help prepare for the pandemic, but we will need to consider a vaccine production agreement for four years of Biden administration surveillance,” he said.
It remains unclear what is happening in the grant review. Moderna declined to comment when ARS contacted potential updates on Monday.
