Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced Tuesday that the administration would be canceling 22 mRNA vaccine development contracts and winding down other federal investments in mRNA technology for respiratory viruses, saving taxpayers about $500 million.
His announcement spurred a massive outcry from the pharmaceutical industry that was echoed throughout the corporate media, with critics calling it “the most dangerous decision in 50 years of public health.” A variation of the phrase “the targeted vaccines are credited with slowing the 2020 coronavirus pandemic” was repeated in multiple newscasts nationwide.
Steve Bannon’s War Room on Thursday shared a compilation of the media’s “meltdowns” over Kennedy’s stunning decision. [Starts at 4:12].
President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he would be meeting with Kennedy today about his plan to defund the government messenger RNA vaccine contracts.
The projects are currently funded by the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), an HHS program that works with Big Pharma to develop vaccines and other countermeasures for public health emergencies.
“We reviewed the science, listened to the experts, and acted,” Kennedy said in a statement Tuesday. “BARDA is terminating 22 mRNA vaccine development investments because the data show these vaccines fail to protect effectively against upper respiratory infections like COVID and flu. We’re shifting that funding toward safer, broader vaccine platforms that remain effective even as viruses mutate.”
While falling short of outright banning the controversial mRNA products, the move sent shockwaves throughout the biomedical industry, which has been working to make mRNA technology the dominant vaccine platform for a myriad of diseases.
Dr. Ryan Cole, a noted vaccine critic and pathologist from Idaho, predicted on War Room Wednesday that the defunding of the gene therapies would lead to their demise.
“It is the winddown of the government investing through BARDA in these technologies and their global health investment corporation partner is advised to stop all equity investments in modified mRNA technologies,” explained Dr. Cole. “So Follow the money, when the money isn’t there, these are going to fizzle.”
To explain his decision, Kennedy said: “mRNA vaccines don’t perform well against viruses that infect the upper respiratory tract” and “mRNA only codes for a small part of the viral proteins, usually a single antigen. One mutation, and the vaccine becomes ineffective.”
RFK Jr. asserted that the COVID shots contributed to the creation of new mutations that extended the pandemic.
“The [mRNA] vaccine [platform] paradoxically encourages new mutations and can actually prolong pandemics. As the virus constantly mutates to escape the protective effects of the vaccine, millions of people, maybe even you or someone you know, caught the Omicron variant despite being vaccinated. That’s because a single mutation can make mRNA vaccines ineffective,” he stated, adding “you are generating a breeding ground for even more infectious variants to replicate” when you vaccinate DURING a pandemic.
In light of this, Kennedy declared “mRNA technology poses MORE risk than benefits for these respiratory viruses.”
He noted that this move against mRNA technology was limited to just respiratory diseases where it has demonstrated it offers little to no benefits.
“That’s why we’re moving beyond the limitations of mRNA for respiratory viruses and investing in better solutions,” Kennedy said.
Trump was asked about the HHS secretary’s plan to cancel all HHS/BARDA funding of mRNA vaccines for respiratory viruses during a press conference on Wednesday.
The president proudly took credit for the program that rushed the mRNA products to the market in 2020.
“Operation Warp Speed was one of the most incredible things ever done in this country,” he told reporters. “Everything about it has been amazing.”
Trump added, “But that was, you know, a long time ago and we’re on to other things.”
The president told reporters that there have been meetings at the White House on the issue and there would be another one on Thursday.
“We have meetings about it tomorrow, actually tomorrow at 12 o’clock,” he said.
Kennedy’s full statement below:
At HHS, we have a division called the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, or barda. BARDA drives some of our most advanced scientific research. IT funds developments of vaccines, drugs, diagnostics, and other tools to fight emergent diseases and national health threats. Over the past few weeks, barta reviewed 22 mRNA vaccine development investments and began canceling them. Let me explain why most of these shots are for flu or COVID, but as the pandemic showed us mRNA, vaccines don’t perform well against viruses that infect the upper respiratory tract. Here’s the problem. mRNA only codes for a small part of the viral proteins, usually a single antigen, one mutation, and the vaccine becomes ineffective. This dynamic drives a phenomena called antigenic shift, meaning that the vaccine paradoxically encourages new mutations and can actually prolong pandemics as the virus constantly mutates to escape the protective effects of the vaccine.
Millions of people, maybe even you or someone, got the omicron variant despite being vaccinated. That’s because a single mutation can make mRNA vaccines ineffective. The same risk applies to flu. After reviewing the science and consulting top experts at NIH and FDA, HHS has determined that mRNA technology poses more risk and benefits for these respiratory viruses. That’s why after extensive review, BARDA has begun the process of terminating these 22 contracts totaling just under $500 million to replace the troubled mRNA programs. We’re prioritizing the development of safer, broader vaccine strategies like a whole virus, vaccines, and novel platforms that don’t collapse on viruses. Mutate, let me be absolutely clear. HHS supports safe effective vaccines for every American who wants them. That’s why we’re moving beyond the limitations of mRNA for respiratory viruses and investing in better solutions. Thank you.
Pathologist and biological weapons expert Dr. Steven J. Hatfill, senior advisor for the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR) at HHS, appeared on Steve Bannon’s War Room Thursday to explain how the government came to the decision to nix the funding.
“What happened is the data had accumulated to the point where meta analysis studies can be done,” Hatfill said.
According to Hatfill, the data consistently showed that “there was no benefit to risk ratio for taking a messenger RNA vaccine.”
He added: “In fact, it was more dangerous to take a vaccine than it was to contract COVID-19 and be hospitalized with it.”
Hatfill stated that as far back as 2022, the data was showing “enormous and progressive” side effects for taking the mRNA “gene therapy.”
“Finally a few months ago, some of the detailed biochemistry studies started to appear in the literature,” Hatfill continued.
The data shows that “the millions of molecules of messenger RNA entering the cell is creating biochemical havoc,” he declared. “It’s disrupting protein metabolism, it’s interfering with tumor suppressor genes, it’s damaging the mitochondria, the powerhouses of the cell,” Hatfill added. “It had to be stopped.”