Kennedy blocks funding for mRNA vaccines: ‘Not effective against respiratory viruses’

The Department of Health revokes half a billion dollars. Criticism from the scientific community: ‘An ideological choice that slows progress’

WASHINGTON – US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has cancelled grants and contracts worth nearly $500 million for the development of mRNA vaccines. The decision, announced by the Department of Health and Human Services, comes after the revocation in May of a nearly $600 million contract with the pharmaceutical company Moderna for a vaccine against avian influenza.

The reason for the measure? According to Kennedy, ‘the pandemic has shown us that mRNA vaccines are not effective against viruses that infect the upper respiratory tract.’ .

This statement was immediately contested by Jennifer Nuzzo, director of the Pandemic Centre at Brown University: “By making this totally incorrect statement, the secretary demonstrates his commitment to pursuing a long-standing goal: to sow doubt about all vaccines. Without mRNA vaccines, we would have had millions more deaths from Covid”.

The Department’s line: more funding for traditional alternatives

The Department of Health has made it clear that it intends to ‘promote the development of alternative vaccines, such as whole-cell vaccines,’ which are closer to traditional vaccines than innovative mRNA technology.

Bassetti: ‘An ideological choice, harmful to everyone’

The reaction in Italy has also been harsh. Matteo Bassetti, director of Infectious Diseases at the San Martino Polyclinic in Genoa, called Kennedy’s decision “an ideological closure and a global harm”. Interviewed by Adnkronos Salute, he added: “Saying no to mRNA technology means stopping scientific progress. Kennedy at the helm of US healthcare is like putting a wolf in charge of the flock”.

Bassetti then emphasised the importance of mRNA technology in tackling new health threats: “It is the future for many infectious diseases and for diseases for which we do not yet have a vaccine, such as West Nile. Stopping its development is a mistake that affects not only the United States but has global repercussions”.

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