US Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. recently terminated $500 million in federal funding for mRNA vaccine research, claiming he had reviewed the science. However, his press release linked to a 181-page document fails to support this claim.
The document, compiled by outside authors, is not a government analysis or systematic review but rather a bibliography assembled by a dentist, not an immunologist or vaccine expert. Most of the papers cited are in vitro studies documenting effects of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, not vaccination. These laboratory experiments show harmful effects from the spike protein produced during infection.
However, Kennedy is misinterpreting these findings to support his position against mRNA vaccines. The document’s methodology reveals how this happened, with authors grabbing papers using any mention of spike protein and presenting them as evidence against vaccines. This apparent deception runs deeper, including studies that inject spike protein or mRNA intravenously into mice, which are not used in human vaccination.
The compilation also misleads about the persistence of spike protein in the body and highlights anaphylaxis rates at a much higher rate than systematic CDC surveillance estimates. Most damningly, it ignores critical data showing no increased risk for 29 specified conditions from Danish nationwide study or Global Vaccine Data Network analysis of 99 million vaccinated across multiple countries.
Kennedy’s decision undermines pandemic preparedness by terminating projects that represent late-stage development of Phase 3 trials, manufacturing scale-up, and strategic stockpiling. The real concern is not rare side effects but rather the devastating consequences of a lack of preparedness for future pandemics.
As an infectious disease physician, I urge the scientific community to respond clearly: Kennedy’s actions are based on misrepresenting evidence that refutes his own position.
Source: https://www.statnews.com/2025/08/13/rfk-jr-mrna-vaccine-research-science-papers-justification-misreading