Hungarian Nobel laureate Karikó slams Kennedy, implying that he acts as if he worked for China

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., nephew of the late President Kennedy, has long criticised mRNA vaccines—including those shown to be effective against COVID-19. In a recent move, he has withdrawn approximately $500 million (around 169 billion forints) in funding from 22 projects dedicated to advancing this vaccine technology. Kennedy claims the vaccines lack proven efficacy, despite hundreds of scientific studies stating otherwise.

Katalin Karikó, who received the Nobel Prize for developing mRNA technology, also weighed in—suggesting the U.S. health secretary is behaving as if he were working for the Chinese government.

Kennedy cuts USD 500 million

In early August, Kennedy announced the withdrawal of $500 million in funding from 22 mRNA-based vaccine development initiatives. In a video posted to X, the health secretary—who holds a law degree—is seen discussing the decision with medical experts and expressing doubts about the technology’s effectiveness. He argues that for respiratory illnesses, the drawbacks outweigh the benefits. This is not Kennedy’s first public criticism—he has previously campaigned to ban these vaccines altogether.

The decision halts collaborative research with major universities and corporations, including Pfizer, Sanofi, and Tiba Biotech. Kennedy claims that these vaccines are unsuitable for effective protection against respiratory illnesses such as influenza and COVID-19. He argues that the money should instead fund research into broader, more reliable methods that remain effective even as viruses mutate, Politico reports.

We reviewed the science, listened to the experts, and acted. BARDA is terminating 22 mRNA vaccine development investments because the data show these vaccines fail to protect effectively against upper respiratory infections like COVID and flu. We’re shifting that funding toward… pic.twitter.com/GPKbuU7ywN

— Secretary Kennedy (@SecKennedy) August 5, 2025

Will America lag behind?

While Kennedy’s announcement drew immediate criticism, it has now been met with further rebuke from Nobel Prize-winning scientist Katalin Karikó, a pioneer of mRNA technology. In an interview with Magyar Hang, Karikó said:

“Never before has a minister—who is not even a researcher but a lawyer—simply declared that all funding would be pulled from an entire field of science, effectively halting research.”

Karikó questioned how the American government had become so anti-science under Trump and how someone with such views could have been appointed health secretary. She warned that halting research would allow China and Europe to gain an unassailable lead in developing future pandemic solutions—whether those pandemics arise naturally or intentionally. The U.S., she cautioned, could be left begging for help.