An Emory University representative told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that he was unable to comment on whether any of the work will be paid for in another manner or how the public would be affected by the lost research.
Mike Osterholm, a University of Minnesota specialist in infectious illnesses and pandemic preparedness, stated, “I don’t think I’ve seen a more dangerous decision in public health in my 50 years in the business.”
The innovative mRNA technique was initially used to create COVID-19 vaccines, which are thought to have avoided millions of additional cases of chronic illness and saved millions of lives. The efficacy and rapid creation of the first mRNA vaccines were unheard of.
Similar to the flu, the COVID virus mutates every year, necessitating the production of a new vaccination booster.
In granting its creators the 2023 Nobel Prize, the Nobel Committee stated that the remarkable adaptability and rapidity with which mRNA vaccines can be created open the door for the use of the novel platform for vaccinations against other infectious diseases. According to the award citation, mRNA technology could also result in cancer treatments.
Kennedy’s decision to end the programs is the most recent in a series of rulings that have fully implemented the nation’s health department’s long-standing skepticism regarding vaccines. Kennedy dismissed the panel that recommends vaccines, retracted advice on the COVID-19 doses, and declined to strongly support vaccinations as the measles outbreak intensified.
In a video posted on social media, the health secretary attacked mRNA vaccines and gave an explanation for the decision to halt programs being led by the country’s leading pharmaceutical corporations, such as Pfizer and Moderna, that provide protection against viruses like the flu, COVID-19, and H5N1.
“We’re prioritizing the development of safer, broader vaccine strategies, like whole-virus vaccines and novel platforms that don’t collapse when viruses mutate,” Kennedy stated in the video as a replacement for the problematic mRNA programs.
The mRNA technology used in vaccinations is safe, according to infectious disease experts, who also attribute the 2020 coronavirus pandemic to its creation during the first Trump administration. They cautioned that without mRNA’s assistance, future pandemics might be more difficult to contain.
According to the Minnesota researcher Osterholm, mRNA technology has the potential benefit of quick production, which is essential in the case of a new pandemic that calls for a novel vaccine.
Dr. Paul Offit, a vaccine expert at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, stated that the mRNA projects’ shelving is ill-advised given the ongoing worries about a bird flu pandemic.
According to Offit, the current mRNA vaccinations have undoubtedly saved millions of lives.
Researchers worldwide are investigating the potential of mRNA for cancer immunotherapies in addition to its application in vaccines against infectious diseases. Earlier this year, millionaire computer entrepreneur Larry Ellison hailed mRNA’s potential to heal cancer at the White House.
