WASHINGTON — The abrupt termination of $500 million in US federal contracts for mRNA-based vaccines has ignited alarm among global health experts, who say the decision rests on widely debunked claims and could roll back critical medical advances by years.
US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a long-time critic of vaccination programs, announced the cancellations on Tuesday, framing them as a move to “protect public health” from what he alleged were vaccine-driven risks. But leading researchers say Kennedy’s rationale hinges on misinformation — including claims that mRNA vaccines trigger dangerous new virus mutations and fail to offer meaningful protection against illnesses like COVID-19.
“These statements are scientifically inaccurate,” said Stephen Evans, professor at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. “No vaccine, mRNA or otherwise, causes viral mutations. And mRNA vaccines have prevented millions of deaths worldwide.”
The World Health Organization, which described Kennedy’s move as a “significant blow,” emphasized that mRNA technology remains one of the most promising platforms for tackling not only COVID-19 but also emerging diseases and even seasonal influenza.
Public health experts fear the fallout could extend far beyond US borders. “This isn’t just a national policy shift — it disrupts the global pipeline of vaccine research,” said Andrew Pekosz, professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. “We could lose a decade of progress.”
Since taking office, Kennedy has overhauled key health policy structures, disbanding the government’s long-standing vaccine advisory panel and replacing it with appointees aligned with his skepticism. The new panel’s first move was to ban a decades-old vaccine preservative with a strong safety record — a decision widely criticized by scientists.
Kennedy has also greenlit a sweeping review of the disproven link between vaccines and autism, a theory rejected by the medical community but central to anti-vaccine narratives for years.
For experts, the concern is not just about one policy change, but about an accelerating shift away from evidence-based medicine in the world’s largest public health system.
“Vaccine science isn’t just about fighting the last pandemic,” said Charles Bangham, professor of immunology at Imperial College London. “It’s about being ready for the next one. Decisions like this leave us less prepared.”