Trump opposes the proposal to eliminate the vaccination mandate in Florida.
In a surprising turn of events, the biomedical research division of the U.S. Department of Health is supporting companies in developing medical devices to combat public health threats, while the US Health Ministry, under Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s instruction, has halted the development of mRNA vaccines. This decision affects 22 projects with a total volume of nearly 500 million US dollars.
The halt in mRNA vaccine development comes after a comprehensive review of investments related to mRNA initiated during the corona pandemic. Kennedy, a vocal vaccine skeptic, has accused the CDC of pursuing a "catastrophic and senseless" policy with the vaccination programs during the pandemic.
The US has seen a decrease in vaccination rates for diseases like measles, diphtheria, and polio among kindergarten children in the 2024/25 school year. This is concerning, as a measles outbreak occurred in the USA, with the number of confirmed cases reaching the highest level since the disease was declared eliminated in the USA in 2000.
In June, the head of the health authority CDC, Susan Monarez, was dismissed after less than a month in office. Kennedy has defended the dismissal as "absolutely necessary" to enforce a change of course in health policy. The US Senate held a hearing where Kennedy defended the dismissal and criticized the CDC's policy during the corona pandemic.
Kennedy, who was appointed Health Minister by President Donald Trump at the beginning of the year, has also dismissed all members of the advisory vaccine committee ACIP and replaced them with handpicked advisors, including vaccine opponents.
The US Department of Health, during the pandemic, provided billions of dollars for the development of COVID-19 vaccines. However, Kennedy has called for "brave, competent, and creative new leadership" at the CDC to represent "a new course."
Florida, governed by Ron DeSantis, supports the abolition of vaccine mandates. The state's health department has announced its intention to abolish all state-level vaccine mandates, including those for schoolchildren. Joseph Ladapo, the head of Florida's health department, has stated that every vaccine mandate is wrong and dripping with contempt and slavery.
President Trump has criticized Florida's plan to repeal all state-level vaccine mandates, while Kennedy has defended the move as necessary for individual freedom. The future of vaccination policies in the USA remains uncertain, with Kennedy's controversial stance on vaccines and his efforts to reshape the CDC and ACIP likely to have significant implications.
