August 14, 2025

GLP podcast: Deadly mistake? RFK, Jr. guts mRNA vaccine research

55 minutes

Iconoclastic Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has once again roiled the science community, cancelling $500 million in mRNA vaccine research funding on the spurious grounds that this promising vaccine platform is dangerous and untested. It’s another misguided move from HHS and a threat to public health. “We reviewed the science, listened to the experts, and acted,” Kennedy tweeted. “[T]he data show these vaccines fail to protect effectively against upper respiratory infections like COVID and flu.”

Never uncertain but frequently wrong, Kennedy had to ignore extensive scientific evidence to make such declarations. mRNA vaccines have been rigorously tested, with clinical trials involving tens of thousands of people showing over 90% efficacy in preventing severe COVID-19 outcomes. Studies estimate the shots have saved millions of lives globally over the last five years, reducing hospitalizations and deaths even as variants emerged.

While mRNA vaccines are best known for saving lives during the pandemic, they hold truly transformative potential for addressing chronic diseases, Kennedy’s pet project since taking the helm at HHS. In cancer therapy, for instance, mRNA can be tailored to encode neoantigens—unique proteins found on an individual’s tumor cells. By sequencing a patient’s tumor, scientists identify these neoantigens and design vaccines that prompt the immune system to recognize and attack cancer cells while sparing healthy tissue. The flexibility of mRNA technology allows rapid vaccine development customized to each patient’s unique case, revolutionizing oncology by offering targeted, effective, and adaptable treatments.

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Defunding mRNA research stifles innovation in a platform with proven potential beyond COVID-19. The technology’s rapid adaptability could be critical for preventing or mitigating future pandemics, yet Kennedy risks undermining that progress by relying on discredited studies and misrepresenting data, undermining trust in vaccines along the way. By prioritizing supposedly “safer” platforms, he jeopardizes scientific innovation, leaving the U.S. vulnerable to future health crises. Simply put, it’s a decision that prioritizes ideology over evidence.

Join Dr. Liza Lockwood and Cam English on this episode of Facts and Fallacies as they discuss the consequences of halting mRNA vaccine progress.

Dr. Liza Lockwood is a medical toxicologist and the medical affairs lead at Bayer Crop Science. Follow her on X @DrLizaMD

Cameron J. English is the director of bio-sciences at the American Council on Science and Health. Follow him on X @camjenglish

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