Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Issues Bombshell Order on Oral COVID-19 Vaccine Due to Safety Concerns

The contract paused by Kennedy was part of a $5 billion Biden administration initiative aimed at developing new vaccine technologies. Kennedy cited safety concerns and what he called “failed oversight” from the Biden administration as reasons for the pause, emphasizing the need for a thorough review before proceeding with clinical trials involving 10,000 participants. Although the trials are not permanently canceled, the stop-work order prevents the vaccine’s developer from invoicing further trial costs but allows continued billing for patient monitoring expenses.

The decision comes amid broader uncertainty surrounding vaccine development in the United States, as federal agencies have recently delayed or canceled several key vaccine-related meetings. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) scrapped a March advisory meeting on flu vaccine strain selection, while the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) postponed its first 2025 meeting of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), which reviews vaccine recommendations.

Meanwhile, there are growing concerns over COVID-19 vaccines, both in the United States and worldwide, following a Yale University study that suggested a possible link between mRNA vaccines and a newly identified condition known as ‘post-vaccination syndrome’. While the findings are still under review, Kennedy’s latest move aligns with broader skepticism from other officials in the Trump administration regarding vaccine safety and oversight.

To read how reports suggest the Trump administration may be considering suspending the use of COVID-19 vaccines, see this article on our website.