Officers on the Nationwide Institutes of Well being are reportedly telling scientists to take away any references to mRNA know-how from grant purposes. It’s an ominous signal for the scientific group, now underneath the management of anti-science conspiracy theorist Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
A senior official on the Nationwide Most cancers Institute confirmed to KFF Well being Information that the performing NIH director despatched an agency-wide e mail directing all grants, contracts, and “collaborations involving mRNA vaccines” be reported to Well being and Human Providers Secretary Kennedy’s workplace and the White Home.
mRNA know-how, essential to the event of profitable COVID-19 vaccines throughout the pandemic, has additionally exhibited promise in analysis on HIV/AIDS and most cancers as a consequence of its skill to stimulate immune responses.
In 2021, Kennedy instructed Louisiana lawmakers that the COVID-19 vaccine was the “the deadliest vaccine ever made.” Kennedy cited knowledge from the poorly understood, and in no way verifiable Vaccine Hostile Occasion Reporting System.
As scientists maintain their breath to search out out whether or not or not their lifesaving analysis will likely be lower, the measles outbreak in Texas continues to unfold, now with almost 300 confirmed instances. Kennedy remains to be misinforming the general public about each the character of the newest outbreak and redirecting assets into redundant analysis on the security of current vaccines.
Kennedy wrote an op-ed giving lip service to the MMR vaccine earlier than doing an interview with Fox Information’ Sean Hannity at a Steak ‘n Shake in Florida, the place he promoted the concept that it’s higher to easily catch the measles if you’re “healthy” versus taking a vaccine. The downsides to catching the measles in childhood is longterm issues and erasing your immune reminiscence, which far outweigh any immunity you get to the illness.
And whereas President Donald Trump’s secretary of agriculture does harm management on egg costs, researchers race to develop mRNA-based vaccines in preparation for a potential avian flu pandemic the administration and Kennedy appear ill-equipped to handle.
