RFK Jr. May Roll Back Major Trump-Era COVID-19 Vaccine “Achievement”
President Donald Trump and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. are allegedly considering a plan to ban COVID-19 vaccines “within months,” according to an associate of Kennedy’s. The move would represent a reversal of what Trump previously called a “monumental achievement” during his administration.
Trump said in December 2020 that the development of the vaccine under Operation Warp Speed was a “historic” success, crediting doctors, scientists, pharmaceutical executives, and government leaders for expediting the process during the height of the pandemic. The vaccines were later met with criticism from segments of Trump’s political base, along with ongoing questions about their efficacy and safety.
Kennedy, who has faced scrutiny for past statements on vaccine safety, announced earlier this month that HHS would withdraw $500 million in federal funding for 22 mRNA vaccine development projects. He said the decision was based on data showing the vaccines “fail to protect effectively against upper respiratory infections like COVID and flu.” Kennedy has maintained he is not “anti-vaccine.”
An HHS spokesperson told Newsweek the agency does not comment on potential policy decisions. The White House dismissed claims that the administration plans to end COVID vaccine access.
“The Administration is relying on Gold Standard Science and is committed to radical transparency to make decisions that affect all Americans,” White House spokesperson Kush Desai said Monday. “Unless announced by the Administration, however, any discussion about HHS policy should be dismissed as baseless speculation.”
Kennedy’s associate, cardiologist Aseem Malhotra, linked the possible shift in policy to a 2022 research paper published in the journal Vaccine. The paper reported a secondary analysis of clinical trial data for Pfizer and Moderna’s mRNA vaccines and found that vaccinated adults showed a 16 percent higher risk of “excess serious adverse events” compared to those who received a placebo.
The White House has not indicated that any formal changes to vaccine policy are under consideration.
Photo credit: Gage Skidmore via Flickr
