Former Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams has issued a stark warning following Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s decision to halt nearly $500 million in research funding for mRNA vaccine development.
Dr. Adams emphasized that this move could lead to unnecessary loss of life, stating, “People are going to die” as a consequence of cutting critical health technology funding.
Kennedy announced last week that his administration would cancel 22 mRNA vaccine development projects, arguing that the vaccines do not effectively protect against upper respiratory infections like COVID-19 and influenza.
He indicated that the funds would be redirected towards developing “safer, broader vaccine platforms” that are deemed more effective in the face of mutating viruses.
During an appearance on CBS’s “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan,” Dr. Adams strongly refuted Kennedy’s claims regarding the mRNA vaccines’ efficacy.
He pointed to the significant impact mRNA technology had during the COVID-19 pandemic, which saw hundreds of millions of doses administered through Pfizer and Moderna vaccines.
“We know that by the most conservative estimates, upward of 2 million lives have been saved because of mRNA technology,” Adams stated.
He attributed the rapid development of COVID-19 vaccines to this technology, declaring it one of President Trump’s greatest achievements.
Dr. Adams highlighted that mRNA technology was central to Operation Warp Speed—a crucial public-private initiative launched to expedite vaccine development during the early stages of the pandemic.
“If we had relied on older vaccine technology, it could have taken an extra 18 to 24 months to develop COVID-19 shots,” he cautioned.
In response to Kennedy’s funding cut announcement, President Trump remarked that Operation Warp Speed is widely celebrated, regardless of political affiliation.
Adams added that it is surprising for him to see the health secretary undermining such a significant public health achievement as Trump discusses the possibility of receiving a Nobel Prize for his administration’s efforts.
He elaborated on mRNA as a natural molecule found in the body that functions like a “recipe card” guiding the body in protein production.
The former surgeon general stressed that mRNA technology is vital not only for COVID-19 but also for developing vaccines and treatments for a range of other diseases, including cancers, HIV, flu, and Zika virus.
He voiced strong concerns that cutting funding could prevent progress in one of the most promising areas of modern medicine.
“These are advances that are not going to happen now,” Adams warned.
He added, “People are going to die because we’re cutting short funding for this technology.”
Dr. Adams did not stop there; he also criticized Kennedy’s response to a recent shooting incident outside the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) offices in Atlanta.
Investigation sources reported that the shooting suspect may have been motivated by beliefs about the COVID vaccine.
In his critique, Adams pointed out that how a leader handles a crisis is telling.
He accused Kennedy of failing his first major test as health secretary by not delivering a stronger response to the violent incident, describing his comments as “tepid”.
Adams remarked, “That’s not even considering how his inflammatory rhetoric in the past has actually contributed to a lot of what’s been going on.”
Kennedy did issue a statement on Friday, acknowledging that “no one should face violence while working to protect the health of others.”
However, Adams insisted that Kennedy has not unequivocally condemned the violence, adding, “There’s an out there.”
He warned that failing to recognize the protective efforts of public health professionals may lead some individuals to justify violence.
Adams shared that employees at the CDC reached out to him following the shooting, expressing their fears and seeking a public statement against the violence.
“They were scared, and they wanted someone, someone who they felt had a public voice, to go out there and say, ‘This is wrong. Violence is wrong,'” Adams explained.
In the face of these significant public health concerns and violent incidents, the discussion around mRNA vaccines and leadership in health continues to evolve.
image source from：cbsnews
