Controversial Vaccine Claim by Health Secretary Sparks Expert Backlash

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. — Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has ignited controversy with his latest statements about vaccines, claiming that single antigen vaccines for respiratory diseases are ineffective. His remarks, made during an interview with CBS News, were met with swift criticism from the scientific community.

Kennedy’s comments arose as he discussed the recent delay by the Food and Drug Administration in approving Novavax’s Covid-19 vaccine, which is currently available under an emergency use authorization. “It is a single antigen vaccine. And for respiratory illnesses, the single antigen vaccines have never worked,” Kennedy stated when pressed by CBS’s chief medical correspondent, Jonathan LaPook, about the decision’s timing.

Experts in infectious diseases quickly rebutted Kennedy’s assertion. Paul Offit, an infectious diseases expert at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and co-developer of a successful rotavirus vaccine, labeled Kennedy’s statement as incorrect. “He believes falsely that a single protein vaccine can’t effectively prevent a serious mucosal infection and of course it can. We have several examples,” Offit said.

Peter Marks, former head of the FDA‘s biologics center, which oversees vaccine regulation, emphasized that Kennedy’s views are not supported by scientific principles. “A tenet of virology is that you go after one of the proteins on the surface that generates a good immune response, and that’s what you target,” Marks explained. “This principle has withstood the test of time because we’ve made multiple good vaccines in that manner.”

Stanley Plotkin, a professor emeritus at the University of Pennsylvania and a co-developer of vaccines for rubella and rotavirus, expressed strong concern over Kennedy’s comments, saying, “This is another example of Kennedy being an ignoramus about vaccination, if not other things as well. And you can quote me on that.”

While Kennedy’s comments raised eyebrows, they also have implications for the future of Covid-19 vaccines currently undergoing review. Many vaccines, including those developed by Moderna and Pfizer, target specific antigens similar to Novavax’s formulation.

The FDA is expected to offer guidance soon on how manufacturers should update their vaccines for the 2025-2026 respiratory season. The agency is also considering full licensure applications from Moderna and Pfizer for their pediatric Covid-19 vaccines, which remain under emergency use authorization.

Financial markets reacted to Kennedy’s claims, with shares of Novavax plummeting by 20% and Moderna’s stock dropping 8% during Thursday’s trading. Public health experts expressed alarm over the potential consequences of Kennedy’s rhetoric on vaccine availability.

Michael Osterholm, director of the University of Minnesota’s Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy, stated, “I think any single antigen vaccine based on his rhetoric right now has to be considered at risk.” Marks echoed these concerns, emphasizing that the public deserves access to safe and effective vaccines free from political influence. “Our children, our older people in this country, all of us deserve the best available vaccines that come through the gold standard evaluation process for quality, safety, and effectiveness from the Food and Drug Administration without any political interference,” he asserted.

Plotkin also cautioned that Kennedy’s influence could jeopardize vaccine development: “Obviously, if Kennedy is making decisions, that is going to hurt vaccine development,” he warned. “More specifically, if decisions are delayed or changed, the public will suffer because those decisions will not be based on scientific decisions.”