Former Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams, who served during the first Trump administration, expressed grave concerns on Sunday regarding the future of mRNA vaccine development in the United States. His comments come in light of Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., halting approximately $500 million in research funding. Kennedy announced last week the cancellation of 22 mRNA vaccine development projects, claiming that these vaccines fail to provide effective protection against upper respiratory infections such as COVID-19 and the flu.
The funding for these projects was allocated through the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA). Kennedy stated that the redirected funds would support the development of safer, broader vaccine platforms that remain effective even as viruses mutate. However, Dr. Adams vehemently disagrees with Kennedy's assertions about the efficacy of mRNA vaccines. During his appearance on Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan, Adams cited the vaccines' effectiveness during the COVID-19 pandemic, where hundreds of millions received the Pfizer and Moderna mRNA vaccines.
“We know that by the most conservative estimates, upward of 2 million lives have been saved because of mRNA technology,” Adams emphasized. He credited this innovation with enabling the rapid development of COVID-19 vaccines, describing it as “quite frankly, President Trump's greatest achievement.” The mRNA technology was pivotal to Operation Warp Speed, a public-private partnership designed to expedite vaccine development at the onset of the pandemic.
Dr. Adams highlighted the potential dangers of discontinuing support for mRNA vaccine research, stating that relying on older vaccine technologies could have extended the development timeline for COVID-19 vaccines by an additional 18 to 24 months. When questioned about Kennedy's decision, former President Trump praised Operation Warp Speed, calling it “one of the most incredible things ever done in this country,” and mentioned he would have further discussions on the matter.
As a key contributor to Operation Warp Speed, Adams finds it ironic that while discussions around Trump potentially deserving a Nobel Prize continue, his health secretary is undermining the very achievements that could warrant such recognition.
Beyond its role in addressing COVID-19, Dr. Adams noted that mRNA technology is vital for developing vaccines and treatments for various diseases, including cancers, HIV, the flu, and the Zika virus. He warns that the funding cuts could stifle progress in one of the most promising fields of modern medicine. “These are advances that are not going to happen now,” Adams said. “People are going to die because we're cutting short funding for this technology.”
In addition to vaccine funding issues, Dr. Adams also criticized Secretary Kennedy’s handling of a recent shooting incident outside the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) buildings in Atlanta. Investigators are exploring motives, including the possibility that the shooter believed he was suffering from side effects of the COVID vaccine.
“How you respond to a crisis defines a leader,” Adams stated, labeling Kennedy’s response to the shooting as inadequate. He accused Kennedy of providing a tepid reaction, suggesting that his inflammatory rhetoric has contributed to the current climate of fear and violence. In a statement released on Friday, Kennedy said, “No one should face violence while working to protect the health of others.” However, Adams argued that Kennedy has not unequivocally condemned the violence, stating, “If you don’t believe that people are working to protect the public, then that means it’s okay to commit violence, at least in some people's eyes.”
Dr. Adams revealed that CDC employees reached out to him following the shooting, expressing their fears and urging him to make a public statement condemning the violence. “They were scared, and they wanted someone, someone who they felt had a public voice, to go out there and say, ‘This is wrong. Violence is wrong,’” he recounted.
