mRNA

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Report: mRNA vaccines are in RFK Jr’s crosshairs; funding in question

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Ars Technica has reached out to the NIH and HHS for comment and will update this story with any new information provided. The agencies did not respond to comment requests from KFF.

Kennedy’s misinformation

Before becoming the top health official in America, Kennedy had long railed against vaccines, becoming one of the world’s most prominent anti-vaccine advocates and most prolific spreaders of misinformation and disinformation about vaccines. A 2019 study found Kennedy was the single leading source of anti-vaccine ads on Facebook. Kennedy subsequently faced bans from YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram for spreading misinformation.

Researchers directly blame Kennedy and the Trump administration for the attack on vaccine research.

“Kennedy’s war on vaccines has started,” the mRNA vaccine researcher in Philadelphia told KFF.

“There will not be any research funded by NIH on mRNA vaccines,” the scientist in New York similarly told the outlet. “MAGA people are convinced that these vaccines have killed and maimed tens of thousands of people. It’s not true, but they believe that.”

Kennedy has made various statements against vaccines generally, as well as mRNA vaccines specifically. He falsely claimed the vaccine causes severe harms, including causing neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson’s. In 2021, during the height of the pandemic, Kennedy petitioned the Food and Drug Administration to revoke the authorization of COVID-19 vaccines and refrain from approving any future COVID-19 vaccines. A study in 2022, meanwhile, estimated that the vaccines had saved more than 3 million lives and prevented more than 18 million hospitalizations.

The NIH’s recent moves aren’t the first sign that Kennedy will use his powerful position to attack mRNA vaccines. Late last month, Bloomberg reported that HHS was considering canceling a $590 million grant to vaccine-maker Moderna to develop mRNA vaccines against potential pandemic influenza viruses. That includes the H5N1 virus that is currently devastating US poultry and spreading wildly in dairy cows.

An HHS spokesperson told media at the time that “while it is crucial that the US Department and Health and Human Services support pandemic preparedness, four years of the Biden administration’s failed oversight have made it necessary to review agreements for vaccine production.”

It remains unclear what is happening with that grant review. Moderna declined to comment when Ars reached out for any potential updates Monday.

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FDA green-lights fall COVID-19 boosters

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Shoot me up —

Updated mRNA vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna are ready to roll.

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FDA green-lights fall COVID-19 boosters

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As the COVID-19 case count continues to tick upward, the US Food and Drug Administration has approved an updated vaccine for use ahead of the northern hemisphere winter. The emergency use authorization covers updated mRNA vaccines from both Pfizer and Moderna.

The booster shots will target the JN.1 and KP.2 strains of SARS-CoV-2, both of which are omicron variants. Last year’s booster keyed on omicron subvariant XBB.1.5, which has long since lost the evolutionary arms race.

Both Spikevax (Moderna) and Comirnaty (Pfizer) vaccines have been updated. While the vaccine is targeted toward those 12 and over, parents of children aged six months through 11 years are also eligible for the updated vaccines under the FDA’s emergency use authorization.

“Vaccination continues to be the cornerstone of COVID-19 prevention,” said Peter Marks, director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research. “These updated vaccines meet the agency’s rigorous, scientific standards for safety, effectiveness, and manufacturing quality. Given waning immunity of the population from previous exposure to the virus and from prior vaccination, we strongly encourage those who are eligible to consider receiving an updated COVID-19 vaccine to provide better protection against currently circulating variants.”

Updated vaccines will hit hospitals and pharmacies soon, as Moderna and Pfizer are ready to ship vaccines. Once injected, the boosters will take a couple of weeks to hit peak protection, and they will offer that level of protection for a few months after the shot. Keep that in mind as you think about timing your booster for maximum efficacy.

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