Former U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams is warning that halting federal funding for mRNA vaccine research will cost lives, derail medical breakthroughs, and hand a critical technological advantage to China.
Adams Rejects Kennedy's Claim mRNA Vaccines ‘Don't Work’
In an interview with CBS's Face the Nation on Sunday, Adams pushed back against Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s decision to end $500 million in mRNA vaccine research. Kennedy has argued that the technology "don’t work against upper respiratory infections" and that the U.S. should return to older vaccine platforms.
"That's simply not true," Adams said. "By the most conservative estimates, at least 2 million lives were saved. Many people say that up to 20 million lives were saved because of these vaccines."
Funding Cuts Could Stall Cancer, HIV, And Pandemic Research
He credited mRNA's speed in producing COVID-19 vaccines as "President Trump's greatest achievement" and warned that cutting funding now would stall progress in treating cancer, HIV, Zika, and improving flu vaccines.
"People are going to die because we're cutting short funding for this technology," Adams said.
Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) also criticized the move, calling it "wasting the money which is already invested" and "conceding to China this important technology."
Also Read: Lawmakers Investigate Whether Pfizer Delayed COVID-19 Vaccine Results For Political Reasons
Medical Groups Sue RFK Jr., Warn Of ‘Existential Threat’ To US Vaccine System
Earlier in July, a coalition of top medical and public health groups, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, American College of Physicians, and American Public Health Association, filed a landmark lawsuit against Health and Human Services Secretary Kennedy Jr., accusing him of undermining science-based COVID-19 vaccine policy.
The lawsuit challenges Kennedy's unilateral changes to vaccine recommendations for children and pregnant women, as well as his removal of CDC immunization committee experts. Plaintiffs warn these actions pose a grave risk to the nation's vaccination system and the health of vulnerable populations.
FDA Clears Novavax COVID-19 Vaccine For High-Risk Groups
Meanwhile, in May, the FDA granted limited approval to Novavax Inc.’s (NASDAQ:NVAX) COVID-19 vaccine, allowing use only for people 65 and older and individuals 12+ with health conditions that raise the risk of severe illness.
The decision, delayed six weeks for additional data review, marks a milestone for Novavax's protein-based vaccine, which differs from Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE) and BioNTech SE (NASDAQ:BNTX) mRNA shots.
Regulators also ordered postmarketing studies on rare heart inflammation risks, though the CDC says vaccination benefits outweigh these concerns.
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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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