Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said his department would slash funding for mRNA vaccine research and shift its focus to "whole-virus" and "universal vaccines" instead.

Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said his department would slash funding for mRNA vaccine research and shift its focus to "whole-virus" and "universal vaccines" instead. WASHINGTON —

The Department of Health and Human Services is slashing funding for messenger RNA, or mRNA, vaccine development , affecting about 22 programs researching technology that has been credited for saving millions of lives.

In a video posted Tuesday , Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who is skeptical of vaccines and has spread conspiracy theories about them, made dubious claims about mRNA shots.

"We're prioritizing the development of safer

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