The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) plans to cancel $500m (£376m) in funding for mRNA vaccines being developed to counter viruses that cause diseases such as the flu and Covid-19.

CSL Seqirus was one of the drugmakers the federal government listed this week as having its mRNA-related work cut. In an email to The N&O, a company spokesperson said its mRNA programs cited by HHS aren’t active and thus “this decision has no impact on our research.”

Kennedy has claimed that mRNA vaccines “encourage new mutations and can actually prolong pandemics” – a misleading statement that contradicts the scientific consensus on viral evolution and effects of vaccination. But scientific research shows that mRNA vaccines have saved millions of lives.