JUANA SUMMERS, HOST:
President Trump has called on pharmaceutical companies to prove the success of vaccines used to prevent COVID-19. In a statement on social media, Trump wrote, quote, "many people think they are a miracle that saved millions of lives. Others disagree." But as NPR's Kat Lonsdorf reports, in the past, Trump celebrated the vaccines.
KAT LONSDORF, BYLINE: Back in December of 2020, Trump stood at a podium in front of doctors, scientists and politicians...
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PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: We're here to discuss a monumental national achievement.
LONSDORF: ...And announced that both Pfizer and Moderna, two major drug companies, had developed COVID-19 vaccines that were around 95% effective.
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TRUMP: This is one of the greatest miracles in the history of modern-day medicine or any other medicine, any other age of medicine.
LONSDORF: He said that every American who wanted a vaccine would be able to get a vaccine. But this morning, less than five years later, Trump appeared to raise doubts about the effectiveness of those very vaccines on his social media platform, demanding companies like Pfizer make information and results available to the public. It's unclear exactly what information he's talking about. NPR reached out to both Pfizer and Moderna for comment but neither responded immediately. When asked for clarification, White House spokesperson Kush Desai told NPR that, quote, "the only driving principle of health decision-making in this administration is gold standard science."
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ROBERT F KENNEDY JR: Hi, it's Robert F. Kennedy Jr. here, your HHS secretary. At HHS we have...
LONSDORF: Last month, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a longtime critic of vaccines, cut $500 million in funding for mRNA vaccines, effectively halting the advancement of the technology behind the current COVID vaccines.
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KENNEDY: The HHS has determined that mRNA technology poses more risks than benefits for these respiratory viruses.
LONSDORF: But experts say that's just not true. There's overwhelming evidence that mRNA vaccines are very safe and continue to protect people against respiratory illnesses. Kennedy also announced significant limits on who will be eligible for COVID vaccines last week, which added to a week of chaos at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention after director Susan Monarez was forced out and several others resigned in protest. As Trump posted about vaccines this morning, several former CDC leaders from both Republican and Democratic administrations published an op-ed in The New York Times. In it, they expressed serious concern that Kennedy and his policies are endangering the health of Americans.
Kat Lonsdorf, NPR News, Washington. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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