Former US Surgeon General Warns RFK Jr. mRNA Cuts Risk Millions, Aid China

Former U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams, who served during President Trump's first term, strongly criticized Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s decision to halt approximately $500 million in federal funding for mRNA vaccine research. Adams highlighted that mRNA technology was crucial in rapidly developing COVID-19 vaccines, saving an estimated 2 to 20 million lives, and called it "President Trump's greatest achievement." He warned that cutting funding now will stall progress in combating diseases such as cancer, HIV, and Zika, and risk conceding critical technological advantages to China. Kennedy argued that mRNA vaccines are ineffective against upper respiratory infections and advocated for a return to older vaccine platforms, a position Adams and other medical experts refute as inaccurate. Additionally, a coalition of major medical organizations has filed a lawsuit against Kennedy for undermining science-based vaccine policies, citing concerns over changes to vaccine recommendations and the removal of CDC immunization experts. Adams also criticized Kennedy's rhetoric as fueling tensions that contributed to a deadly shooting at CDC headquarters.