PROVIDENCE – U.S. Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., is calling out U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for terminating nearly $500 million in federal contracts aimed at developing mRNA vaccines, a move Reed said was meant to “stranglehold federal biomedical research funding for mRNA development.”
The vaccines are “crucial for safeguarding the nation against potential viral threats,” added Reed, arguing it could undermine America’s ability to respond to future infectious-disease outbreaks.
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“Secretary Kennedy has previously stated that Americans should not take medical advice from him, and he is correct,” Reed said.
A longtime supporter of mRNA technology, Reed, who opposed Kennedy’s nomination to the cabinet post, said advancements can lead to a new era of treatments and cures.
“By prioritizing his partisan beliefs over scientific evidence, Secretary Kennedy is jeopardizing our national preparedness to combat disease outbreaks,” Reed said. “The Trump administration is making America vulnerable once again.”
In June, the Trump administration dismissed all 17 members of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices, made up of pediatricians, epidemiologists and geriatricians tasked with providing recommendations on vaccination schedules.
Christopher Allen is a PBN staff writer. You may contact him at Allen@PBN.com.
