Health Care — Trump administration vs. mRNA vaccines

Click in for more news from The Hill

View Online Health Care Health Care The Big Story  Trump administration vs. mRNA vaccines  President Trump once heralded the speedy development of an mRNA vaccine, but his new administration is casting doubts and fostering speculation over their use. © AP The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in late May canceled $766 million awarded to Moderna through the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) to develop a potential mRNA vaccine for bird flu.    This came soon after HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced COVID-19 mRNA vaccines would no longer be recommended for children and pregnant women, though the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) kept the shot on its schedule of childhood vaccinations.    The vaccines marked a breakthrough in medical technology, drastically reducing the timeline for development of targeted vaccines and even showing promise in cancer research. Trump called mRNA the "gold standard" when he rolled out the first COVID-19 vaccines.     In remarks in December 2020, the same month the first COVID-19 vaccines were deployed, Trump praised Operation Warp Speed's ability to develop a SARS-CoV-2 vaccine at a "breakneck speed," adding, "the gold standard vaccine has been done in less than nine months."     According to Joseph Varon, president and chief medical officer of the Independent Medical Alliance, the concerns for mRNA vaccine skeptics are the expedited timeline and the conditions in which the COVID-19 vaccine was approved.      "The biggest concern is that this rushed treatment still remains in use, even under an Emergency Use Authorization in some cases. It needs to be sent back through proper studies and vetting," Varon told The Hill.     In a move that could prevent future mRNA vaccines from receiving approval, Kennedy on Tuesday announced he was removing every member of the independent panel advising the CDC on vaccines.    In a Wall Street Journal op-ed, he wrote, "A clean sweep is needed to re-establish public confidence in vaccine science."  Welcome to The Hill's Health Care newsletter, we're Nathaniel Weixel, Joseph Choi and Alejandra O'Connell-Domenech — every week we follow the latest moves on how Washington impacts your health. Did someone forward you this newsletter? Subscribe here. Essential Reads  How policy will be impacting the health care sector this week and beyond: Senators grill NIH director in budget hearing: 4 takeaways National Institutes of Health Director Jay Bhattacharya faced questions from senators during an Appropriations subcommittee hearing Tuesday, as the federal government agency has taken hits to its staffing levels and grant-making ability since under President Trump.   Senators focused on the Trump administration's requested 2026 budget, which calls for cutting NIH's funding by $18 billion from 2025 levels.    …  Full Story States sue 23andMe over genetic data sales More than two dozen states, along with the District of Columbia, are suing biotechnology company 23andMe over plans to auction off personal genetic information without their customers' knowledge or consent.   Full Story 'The Pitt' actor Noah Wyle to make push for health care workers at Capitol Noah Wyle is heading to the pit of political power, with a visit to Capitol Hill to push for funding for programs aimed at improving mental health services for health care workers. “The Pitt” and former “ER” star will touch down in Washington on Thursday to lead a panel discussion at the Cannon House Office Building focused on the “daily mental health, financial, and bureaucratic challenges for …  Full Story In Other News  Branch out with a different read: Collins calls Kennedy's firing of vaccine experts 'excessive' Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) on Monday called Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s firing of all 17 experts on the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) vaccine panel "excessive," but she cautioned she needs to learn more about the decision. Kennedy announced the decision in an op-ed for The Wall Street Journal, catching many GOP lawmakers by surprise. "I did not know that that had happened," … Full Story Around the Nation  Local and state headlines on health care: Texas abortion bans are here to stay despite narrow clarification (The Texas Tribune)  New York state's Medical Aid in Dying Act heads to governor's desk (Crain's New York Business)  Two infants die of whooping cough in Kentucky, first since 2018 (WTVQ)  What We're Reading  Health news we've flagged from other outlets: A promising new HIV vaccine was set to start trials. Then came Trump's latest cuts (NPR)  Silent virus behind mono is now prime suspect in major diseases (Bloomberg)  FDA to use AI in drug approvals to 'radically improve' efficiency (The New York Times)  What Others are Reading  Most read stories on The Hill right now: Judge declines to block Trump's Corporation for Public Broadcasting firings but allows board members to stay Correction: A previous version of this article gave incorrect names of the fired CPB board members. They are Laura Ross, Diane Kaplan and Thomas Rothman. … Read more Newsom asks judge for emergency intervention in Trump troop deployment in LA California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) asked a federal judge to immediately intervene on Tuesday to limit President Trump's deployment of the National … Read more   You're all caught up. See you tomorrow!  Check out The Hill's Health Care page for the latest coverage. Like this newsletter? Take a moment to view our other topical products here 📩 Privacy Policy  |  Manage Subscriptions  |  Unsubscribe  400 N Capitol Street NW Suite 650, Washington, DC 20001 Copyright © 1998 - 2025 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved.

If you believe this has been sent to you in error, please safely unsubscribe.