The recent decision by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to cancel nearly $500 million in mRNA vaccine research is more than just bureaucratic reshuffling — it’s a direct threat to public health.

These cuts don’t just affect future Covid vaccines. They impact research into bird flu, respiratory viruses, and other emerging threats that scientists warn are coming.

mRNA technology helped save hundreds of thousands of lives during the Covid-19 pandemic by allowing vaccines to be developed quickly and safely. Now, instead of building on that success, we’re dismantling the very tools that kept our hospitals from overflowing.

RFK Jr.’s move is part of a disturbing pattern: gutting science-backed programs, reshaping advisory committees to fit ideological narratives, and cutting funding for childhood vaccines. Despite his claim that mRNA vaccines pose more risks than benefits, top infectious disease experts disagree — strongly. They warn this decision is not only unscientific, it’s reckless.

Defunding mRNA innovation doesn’t just slow down research. It tells the world that the U.S. is no longer serious about leading in biomedical science. It puts vulnerable communities at risk. It abandons the momentum and infrastructure that helped us fight Covid — and it leaves us less prepared for the next outbreak.

We, the undersigned, call on Congress and relevant oversight bodies to immediately investigate and reverse these cuts.

BARDA’s mRNA programs must be restored — not just for the sake of science, but for the health and safety of every American.

This is not about politics. It’s about preparation, protection, and putting people over ideology. Stand with us to demand RFK Jr. stop putting lives at risk.