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US Secretary of Health RFK Jr. cancels nearly $500M in research funding for mRNA vaccines

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. listens during a press conference about Utah's new fluoride ban, food additives and SNAP funds legislation, Monday, April 7, 2025, in Salt Lake City.
Melissa Majchrzak
/
AP
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. listens during a press conference about Utah's new fluoride ban, food additives and SNAP funds legislation, Monday, April 7, 2025, in Salt Lake City.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has cancelled close to $500 million in research funding for mRNA vaccines, the technology used to develop COVID-19 shots.

Kennedy said the technology is ineffective, unsafe and unethical. But health officials and researchers are concerned.

What is an mRNA vaccine, how is it different from other types of shots, and what does the future of vaccine research look like?

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