Vaccine research RFK's funding block makes the world less safe, scientists say

It was a blow many were braced for, yet the block on US funding for mRNA jabs by Robert F Kennedy Jr has left scientists reeling, with some stating the move could make the world less safe.

- Nicola Davis

On Tuesday, the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) said it would cancel $500m (£376m) in funding for mRNA vaccines, ending 22 federal contracts - including one with the pharmaceutical company Moderna for its bird flu vaccine for humans.

"We're shifting that funding toward safer, broader vaccine platforms that remain effective even as viruses mutate," Kennedy, the health secretary, said on Tuesday.

In many ways, it is not a surprise: Kennedy has long been known as a vaccine sceptic, despite saying he is "not anti-vaccine", just "pro-safety", and has himself spread misinformation around immunisation, including falsely calling mRNA Covid jabs the "deadliest vaccine ever made".

He said HHS had "reviewed the science, listened to the experts and acted", and went on to claim mRNA jabs failed to protect effectively against upper respiratory infections such as Covid and flu.

Scientists have been quick to refute the claims, emphasising that mRNA jabs saved millions of lives during the pandemic and did not increase the mutation rate of viruses.

"There is no scientific evidence that this is the case," said Robin Shattock, professor of mucosal infection and immunity at Imperial College London. "Different viruses mutate at different rates, for example influenza virus changes on a seasonal basis, Sars-CoV2 continues to vary irrespective of whether individuals have received mRNA vaccines."

Kennedy has spent decades undermining vaccine science, including championing the debunked claim that "autism comes from vaccines", yet his invective towards mRNA jabs has been particularly potent.