Dr. Elias Sayour is working on groundbreaking research toward a universal cancer vaccine, and he’s concerned that a recent decision from the Department of Health and Human Services could impede his team's work and the research of others hoping to develop new vaccines for diseases.

Sayour, a pediatric oncologist and professor at the University of Florida,is leading a team that’s using mRNA technology to help create a vaccine that fights cancer.

On Thursday, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced his department would wind down nearly $500 million in mRNA vaccine development for respiratory infections like COVID-19 and the flu.

In an exclusive interview with Scripps News on Monday, Kennedy said those funding cuts won’t impact other areas of research.

“We're still doing the

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