RFK Jr. Is Doing What Vaccine Experts Feared
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US experts fear all vaccines at risk as Trump officials target mRNA jabs
Messenger RNA, or mRNA, vaccines heralded a major breakthrough in battling the Covid pandemic, building on three decades of scientific work and earning a Nobel prize. Some skeptics believe the vaccines affect fertility or cause birth defects, though research shows no link. The mRNA vaccines also don’t need to be incubated in eggs, which is time-consuming and potentially difficult if there are egg shortages from bird flu outbreaks. US health officials have taken several steps to limit Covid shots in recent weeks, including plans to limit boosters to older people and conduct placebo-controlled trials again. About 165,000 Americans were hospitalized and 40,000 died in the previous year of Covid, the CDC said at an April meeting. About 5% of children under five are vaccinated against Covid – much lower than other groups – because of the lower age groups’ lower vaccination rates for Covid. About 6,700 of children, especially young, and 152,000 of children died from Covid in that year.
Donald Trump’s administration recently canceled a $766m award to Moderna on the research and development of H5N1 bird flu vaccines, and officials have announced new restrictions and regulations for Covid mRNA vaccines – actions that signal a move away from the breakthrough technology.
These changes add to other vaccine-related shakeups at health agencies, including layoffs and resignations of top vaccine officials and the abrupt termination of HIV vaccine research.
On Monday, Robert F Kennedy Jr, secretary of health and human services, announced he was disbanding the independent advisory committee on vaccines for the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
“I think mRNA vaccines are particularly at risk, although I think all vaccines are at risk,” said Paul Offit, professor of pediatrics at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine.
“I think that this administration will do everything it can to make vaccines less available, less affordable and more feared.”
Messenger RNA, or mRNA, vaccines heralded a major breakthrough in battling the Covid pandemic, building on three decades of scientific work and earning a Nobel prize.
The Covid vaccines, some of which were co-developed by US government scientists, were taken by millions of people around the globe, and international scientists and officials closely monitored their side effects and effectiveness.
mRNA vaccines and therapeutics show promise for treating or preventing certain cancers, rare conditions and infectious diseases – including, potentially, the next pandemic, experts said.
“We don’t know what the next pandemic virus is going to be,” said Jennifer Nuzzo, professor of epidemiology and director of the Pandemic Center at Brown University School of Public Health.
With mRNA, she said, “you can pivot faster when you find a new virus to make a vaccine that’s tailored to that virus”.
The mRNA vaccines also don’t need to be incubated in eggs, which is time-consuming and potentially difficult if there are egg shortages from bird flu outbreaks.
In 2009, the US didn’t have enough vaccines to battle the swine flu pandemic, Nuzzo said. “It seems like we’re determined to repeat those mistakes.”
Despite their promise, mRNA vaccines have been plagued by misinformation.
Some skeptics believe the vaccines affect fertility or cause birth defects, though research shows no link – and, in fact, studies show that the vaccines reduce these risks by preventing infections with Covid, which can be especially dangerous to pregnant people and newborns.
Because mRNA sounds similar to DNA, some people mistakenly think it interferes with their genes. Conspiracy theorists also claim the vaccine causes people to die suddenly, or that the shots implant microchips or impart 5G connectivity.
Meghan McCain recently endorsed, in a now-deleted social media post, an unregulated supplement company’s “spike detox” for those who “regret” getting vaccinated.
Kennedy, a longtime anti-vaccine activist, called the mRNA Covid shots the “deadliest vaccine ever made,” incorrectly claiming the vaccines cause more illnesses and deaths than they prevent.
Kennedy rose to greater prominence through the pandemic as previously fringe conspiracies about vaccines began dominating more mainstream narratives.
“Anti-vaccine sentiment goes back to the first days of vaccines in the 1700 and 1800s,” said John Moore, professor of microbiology and immunology at Weill Cornell Medical College.
“It’s been a perpetual theme in society for 200-plus years, but it has been turbocharged by the Covid pandemic.”
Some states are now considering laws against mRNA vaccines, and US health officials have taken several steps to limit Covid shots in recent weeks.
Officials with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced plans to limit boosters to older people and those with certain health conditions, as well as plans to conduct placebo-controlled clinical trials again.
The CDC removed the vaccination recommendation for pregnant people and softened the recommendation for children’s shots.
About 165,000 Americans were hospitalized and 40,000 died in the previous year because of Covid, the CDC said at an April meeting.
About 6,700 of those hospitalizations were among children, especially young children, and 152 children died from Covid in that time, the data showed.
About 5% of children under five are vaccinated against Covid – rates much lower than other age groups.
“That’s why, if you look at the numbers of hospitalizations and deaths for children now, especially young children less than four years old, it’s really not much different than the beginning of this pandemic,” Offit said.
There’s also “extensive evidence” for benefits to pregnant people and their babies, he said.
While the FDA recently approved Moderna’s “next generation” Covid vaccine, which was even more effective that their current shot in clinical trials, the agency limited the new shot only for older adults and for people aged 12 to 64 with health conditions putting them at higher risk.
The FDA also announced new requirements for mRNA Covid vaccine makers to add additional warnings about the risks of myocarditis, or heart inflammation, based on data the FDA has not made public.
During the Biden administration, Moderna received two awards totaling $766m to develop potential bird flu vaccines.
Despite the changeover in administrations, Moderna’s work continued as normal – until February, when health officials said in an article that the funding was being reviewed. Moderna hadn’t received any notification of this review, which recently culminated in having the funding cancelled.
Halting the H5N1 vaccine research, which was in phase 3 trials, leaves the US vulnerable in a potential flu pandemic, Nuzzo said. It also means other countries could build upon US investments to procure the vaccines for themselves.
mRNA has shown promise in treating pancreatic cancer and other cancers, as well as rare conditions and hard-to-treat infectious diseases.
Moderna, for instance, is working on vaccines for melanoma, lung cancer, norovirus, flu, and CMV, or cytomegalovirus, a fairly common infection that can cause lasting health problems for infants. The company also has an RSV vaccine, currently approved for older adults, that could be expanded for other age groups.
But those efforts could be hampered by the administration’s moves against mRNA and terminations of vaccine scientists and independent advisors who offer vaccine recommendations.
“We don’t want to see kids kicked out of school because a 12-year-old girl is not getting her fifth Covid booster shot,” Marty Makary, head of the FDA, said in a recent interview. Yet no states require Covid vaccination for school attendance.
Pushing back against mandates is a common tactic from anti-vaccine activists working to dismantle all vaccine mandates, Offit said.
In addition to claiming the Covid vaccines are deadly, Kennedy has “also said no vaccine is beneficial”, he said.
Kennedy recently unveiled a sweeping and controversial $50m research project on autism, including an autism research database.
If that effort somehow links autism to vaccines – despite decades of studies showing no connection – it could open lawmakers up to lawsuits, Offit said.
“He could manipulate the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program,” Offit said. If Kennedy adds autism to the compensable list of injuries, “it would break the program”.
That would mean the people who experience very rare severe side effects from vaccines may then face challenges getting compensated.
And it could prompt vaccine makers to stop producing routine childhood immunizations because of legal liability. “It’s a fragile market,” Offit said.
Kennedy “is an anti-vaccine activist, science denialist and conspiracy theorist”, he continued. “I think that he will continue this onslaught against vaccines.”
Kennedy’s decision to fire independent CDC experts sparks fears of vaccine scepticism, experts warn
U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. cited the purpose of rebuilding trust in vaccinations. Kennedy, a long-time vaccine sceptic, said that he was dismissing all 17 members of the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee for Immunisation Practices (ACIP) ‘to re-establish public confidence in vaccine science’ The committee advises the CDC on the use of vaccinations that have been licensed by the US Food and Drug Administration. The firing of the entire vaccine advisory committee comes just weeks before a scheduled public meeting in which advisers were expected to weigh in and vote on a number of decisions, including the 2025-26 COVID-19 vaccine boosters.
Public health professionals and others warned Monday that the dismissal of an independent panel of experts by U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who cited the purpose of rebuilding trust in vaccinations, might erode confidence in already available vaccines and expose Americans to avoidable infectious illnesses.
In a Wall Street Journal column, Kennedy, a long-time vaccine sceptic, said that he was dismissing all 17 members of the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee for Immunisation Practices (ACIP) “to re-establish public confidence in vaccine science.”
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The committee advises the CDC on the use of vaccinations that have been licensed by the US Food and Drug Administration.
“I fear that there will be human lives lost here because of this,” said Dr. Sean O’Leary, chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics’ Committee on Infectious Diseases.
“It is a special kind of irony that he is saying he is doing this to restore trust, given that he is, as an individual, more responsible for sowing distrust in vaccines than almost anyone I can name,” O’Leary said.
O’Leary said pediatricians have already been fielding calls from parents who are confused about conflicting announcements earlier this month narrowing the use of COVID-19 vaccines for healthy children and pregnant women. “This is only going to add to that,” he said.
A U.S. Department of Health and Human Services spokesman said the agency is prioritizing public health, evidence-based medicine, and restoring public confidence in vaccine science.
The firing of the entire vaccine advisory committee comes just weeks before a scheduled public meeting in which advisers were expected to weigh in and vote on a number of decisions, including the 2025-26 COVID-19 vaccine boosters.
The health agency said the committee will meet as scheduled on June 25-27, but it is unclear who would serve on that panel or how they have been vetted for conflicts of interest. The agency said it would replace them with new members currently under consideration.
Fired ACIP member Noel Brewer, a professor of public health at the University of North Carolina, said it took about 18 months from the time he applied until he was serving as an ACIP member.
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Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer decried the changes. “Wiping out an entire panel of vaccine experts doesn’t build trust — it shatters it, and worse, it sends a chilling message: that ideology matters more than evidence, and politics more than public health,” he said in a statement.
Former CDC Director Dr. Thomas Frieden called out Kennedy’s “false claims” in the Wall Street Journal piece, saying the panel was rife with conflicts of interest. Most of the panel was appointed last year, the CDC website shows.
“Make no mistake: Politicizing the ACIP as Secretary Kennedy is doing will undermine public trust under the guise of improving it.”
A vaccine expert explains why she’s ‘very worried’ about RFK Jr. and new CDC vaccine advisers
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. fired all 17 members of an expert panel that advises the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on immunizations. Kennedy, as everyone’s aware, is openly skeptical of vaccines. He said he took the extraordinary step to “restore public trust in vaccines.”
Elaine Chen covers biotech, co-writes The Readout newsletter , and co-hosts STAT’s weekly biotech podcast, The Readout Loud . You can reach Elaine on Signal at elaineywchen.70.
It’s been another tumultuous week for vaccines and public health. Health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. fired all 17 members of an expert panel that advises the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on immunizations.
Kennedy, as everyone’s aware, is openly skeptical of vaccines. He said he took the extraordinary step to “restore public trust in vaccines.” He accused the advisory group of “malevolent malpractice” for acting as a “rubber stamp” for vaccine approvals without adequate safety data. The current experts were riddled with conflicts of interest, Kennedy claimed.
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Two days later, Kennedy unilaterally appointed eight new members, some of whom share his vaccine skepticism and others with little or no professional experience with vaccines or vaccine safety.
Experts fear upheaval in the U.S. could fuel vaccine distrust in Canada
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RFK Jr.’s vaccine moves raise fears ahead of next school year
Nearly 1,200 cases of measles reported in 34 states, quadruple the total from all of last year. CDC says vaccine coverage among kindergarteners for measles, mumps and rubella is below the target 95 percent threshold. Only states that have seen an increase in county-level immunizations are California, Massachusetts, Connecticut and New York. Schools only have a few months to prepare as a reverse in vaccination trends is unlikely to occur in the near future.“I believe that most, if not all, blue states will continue to have rigorous science based rules for vaccinating children as a condition of school entry. But many red states will follow RFK Jr.’s advice,” Lawrence Gostin, distinguished professor of global health law at Georgetown University said. “If the secretary changes the childhood vaccination schedule, and I think he is all but certain to do that soon, states should hold fast on the current recommendations and consult their own health departments for future guidance,’ he added.
Health officials worry about the ramifications of Kennedy’s recent decisions and philosophy toward vaccines more generally as schools prepare for their first year with him at the helm of nation’s health.
Diseases that had been eradicated from the U.S. are returning, and experts warn of the need for schools to be vigilant and prepare for outbreaks among their student body.
So far this year, there have been nearly 1,200 cases of measles reported in 34 states, quadruple the total from all of last year. And the CDC says vaccine coverage among kindergarteners for measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) is below the target 95 percent threshold.
“I think schools are going to have to rely on state level and national experts to help guide their policies. This means that the current CDC recommendations for school-based vaccinations are still the most reliable and evidence based,” said Lawrence Gostin, distinguished professor of global health law at Georgetown University.
“If the secretary changes the childhood vaccination schedule, and I think he is all but certain to do that soon, states should hold fast on the current recommendations and consult their own health departments for future guidance,” Gostin added.
Kennedy replaced the 17-member Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) with eight new voting members, including some who are known for spreading vaccine misinformation. Robert W. Malone, one of the new members, also promoted the use of hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“A clean sweep is needed to re-establish public confidence in vaccine science,” Kennedy wrote.
“The public must know that unbiased science—evaluated through a transparent process and insulated from conflicts of interest—guides the recommendations of our health agencies,” he added in a subsequent statement.
After the initial measles outbreak in Texas, Kennedy made multiple appearances on Fox News where he downplayed the severity of the disease and gave questionable advice on treatments, including emphasizing the use of vitamin A.
The Health and Human Services secretary at first suggested natural immunity gained from having measles is more useful than the vaccine, though he later conceded the MMR shot is the “most effective way” to prevent the disease.
“The changes at ACIP … were not unexpected, but they are jarring,” said Josh Michaud, senior expert in U.S. and global vaccine policy for KFF, a health policy research and news organization.
Michaud fears the firings and RFK Jr.’s vaccine skepticism will have a negative “effect on parents who might have been on the fence about vaccinations or allow more space for policy-makers at the state and local level to change the rules about vaccinations.”
Schools only have a few months to prepare as a reverse in vaccination trends is unlikely to occur in the near future.
Research published this month by Johns Hopkins University in JAMA showed 1,600 counties around the country have vaccination rates below 91 percent, missing the 95 percent mark for herd immunity.
The only states that have seen an increase in county-level immunizations are California, Massachusetts, Connecticut and New York.
“I believe that most, if not all, blue states will continue to have rigorous science based rules for vaccinating children as a condition of school entry. But many red states will follow RFK. Jr.’s advice,” Gostin said.
“In those states, parents should make sure that their children and family members are all up to date on currently recommended vaccinations. I don’t think they should be reluctant to send their children to school or to have them wear masks. That is overkill,” he added. “If they are fully vaccinated, children will be protected. If the child is immunocompromised, then extra precautions may be needed.”
Schools will also need to review their policies on how to deal with outbreaks and potentially look at past advice — and not future federal guidance — for how to handle vaccine recommendations.
“I think it’s really for schools as they are thinking about their policies, and the policies that many of these school districts have had for many, many years, in terms of the vaccination schedules, in terms of requirements around vaccinations — to really think about the importance of vaccinations for children and to follow the policies that have worked for many years,” said Neil Maniar, professor of public health practice at Northeastern University.
Along with the rise in measles and growing “risk for other infectious diseases,” schools may have to also contend with “higher rates of the flu and RSV [respiratory syncytial virus] and other communicable diseases” than in years past, Maniar said.
“So we really want to make sure that schools are putting forth policies that are designed to really promote the health and wellbeing of children and their families and others in the community,” he added.