Trump Administration Mulls COVID-19 Vaccine Ban: Report

The Trump administration is reportedly preparing to withdraw COVID-19 vaccines from the US market within months, according to a Daily Beast report. The move is based on a recommendation from Dr. Aseem Malhotra, a close associate of HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy. However, there is no confirmation of the plan from the administration.

The Trump administration is reportedly preparing to withdraw COVID-19 vaccines from the U.S. market within months, according to a Daily Beast report. The move is based on a recommendation from Dr. Aseem Malhotra, a close associate of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. However, there is no confirmation of the plan from the administration.

Dr. Malhotra, a British cardiologist and vocal vaccine critic, told The Daily Beast that members of President Donald Trump's family support Kennedy's position, despite lacking medical or scientific expertise. Malhotra is an adviser to Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Action, a group aligned with Kennedy's public health agenda [1].

The potential withdrawal of COVID-19 vaccines could have significant implications for the market. Following the report, stocks of vaccine manufacturers, including Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE), BioNTech SE (NASDAQ:BNTX), Moderna Inc. (NASDAQ:MRNA), and Novavax Inc. (NASDAQ:NVAX), began trading lower. Pfizer's stock fell by 2.53%, BioNTech's by 3.31%, Moderna's by 4.48%, and Novavax's by 4.27% [2].

The decision to withdraw the vaccine is reportedly rooted in skepticism about the safety of mRNA vaccines. Central to Kennedy's stance is a 2022 peer-reviewed paper published in the journal Vaccine, which claimed mRNA vaccines were associated with a 16% higher rate of serious adverse events than placebos in clinical trials. However, the study has been widely dismissed by the scientific community due to methodological concerns and claims of bias [1].

The White House has denied these claims. White House spokesperson Kush Desai stated, "The Administration is relying on Gold Standard Science and is committed to radical transparency to make decisions that affect all Americans. Any discussion about HHS policy should be dismissed as baseless speculation unless officially announced" [3].

The potential withdrawal of COVID-19 vaccines comes amid growing skepticism and controversy surrounding the vaccines. In August, a gunman attacked the CDC headquarters in Atlanta, allegedly targeting the agency because of his COVID-19 vaccine beliefs. A group of former CDC employees blamed Kennedy for vilifying the agency's workforce through "his continuous lies about science and vaccine safety, which have fueled a climate of hostility and mistrust" [2].

References:
[1] https://caliber.az/en/post/trump-administration-may-pull-covid-vaccine-within-months
[2] https://www.inkl.com/news/trump-administration-plans-to-pull-covid-19-vaccines-off-market-within-months
[3] https://www.investing.com/news/stock-market-news/moderna-stock-falls-pfizer-dips-on-covid-vaccine-ban-speculation-93CH-4209558