Former Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams has expressed grave concerns over the $500 million funding cuts for mRNA vaccine research announced by Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Adams warned that people are going to die if the US backs away from this vital technology, citing its effectiveness in the COVID-19 pandemic.
The cuts were made as part of a move to shift funds towards “safer, broader vaccine platforms,” according to Kennedy. However, Adams disputed these claims, stating that mRNA vaccines have saved hundreds of millions of lives and played a crucial role in developing COVID-19 vaccines at an unprecedented pace.
Adams also criticized Kennedy’s response to a shooting outside the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention buildings in Atlanta, which investigators are still investigating. The former surgeon general argued that Kennedy’s tepid response failed to condemn the violence adequately, raising concerns about his leadership and inflammatory rhetoric.
According to Adams, people at the CDC were calling him after the shooting, seeking reassurance and a public statement condemning the violence. The former surgeon general emphasized the importance of strong leadership in times of crisis and warned that if people lose faith in vaccine research, it may lead to increased violence and lives lost.
Source: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ex-trump-surgeon-general-rfk-mrna-vaccine-research