杰罗姆·亚当斯博士曾在唐纳德·特朗普的首个总统任期内担任美国卫生局局长。
小罗伯特·F·肯尼迪（Robert F. Kennedy Jr.）周二突然决定取消价值近5亿美元的研究项目，原因是这些项目基于mRNA技术，此举令疫苗专家们震惊不已，其中包括前总统唐纳德·特朗普（Donald Trump）任内的前卫生局局长。
杰罗姆·亚当斯曾在特朗普首个总统任期内担任美国第20任卫生局局长，他在社交媒体上警告称，这一决定将带来非常现实的负面影响。
他写道："在回应美国卫生与公众服务部（HHS）当前行动时，我始终力求客观冷静——但坦率地说，这一举措将付出生命的代价。mRNA技术的应用范围远超疫苗领域，而他们以创纪录速度协助研发的疫苗，已被公认挽救了数百万人的生命。"
亚当斯以脑袋爆炸的表情符号结束了这封信。
在另一篇讨论中，亚当斯指责新冠疫情时期围绕疫苗接种的政治化宣传，导致公众对疫苗实际功效产生了普遍误解。
亚当斯表示，人们曾误以为“接种这种疫苗就不会感染新冠”，而该疫苗的真正目的是预防重症病例。
信使核糖核酸（mRNA）技术的应用潜力远不止于应对新冠疫情。
例如，在埃默里大学，研究人员正探索利用mRNA技术训练免疫系统来治疗癌症和慢性感染，这得益于一笔2480万美元的联邦拨款。
这项为期三年的计划由美国卫生高级研究计划署（ARPA-H）资助。肯尼迪曾在今年3月将该机构与生物医学高级研究与发展管理局（BARDA）合并，却在周二宣布将撤销对BARDA旗下mRNA研发项目的资金支持。
ARPA-H首任主任蕾妮·韦格兹恩博士于二月遭到特朗普政府解雇，当时美国卫生与公众服务部及疾病控制与预防中心正进行大规模裁员。
另一家研究公司蒂巴生物科技（Tiba Biotech）周二与美国卫生与公众服务部（HHS）的合同被终止，该公司正在研究利用mRNA技术对抗蜱传疾病。由于气候变化，蜱虫在更温暖的冬季存活率提高，导致蜱传疾病病例激增。
明尼苏达大学传染病与流行病防控专家迈克·奥斯特霍尔姆（Mike Osterholm）向美联社表示，这项关于mRNA研究的决定是历史性的错误。
他表示：“在我从事公共卫生工作的50年里，我认为这是我见过的最危险的决定。”
Dr. Jerome Adams was the U.S. surgeon general during Donald Trump's first term.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.s shock decision to cancel nearly half a billion dollars worth of research projects because theyre based on mRNA technology horrified vaccine experts Tuesday , among them President Donald Trump s own former surgeon general.
Jerome Adams, who served as the nations 20th surgeon general during Trumps first term, warned on social media that the decision will have very real negative consequences.
Ive tried to be objective & non-alarmist in response to current HHS actions C but quite frankly this move is going to cost lives, he wrote. mRNA technology has uses that go far beyond vaccines and the vaccine they helped develop in record time is credited with saving millions.
Adams ended the missive with the head exploding emoji.
In another thread, Adams blamed politicized messaging around vaccination during the coronavirus pandemic for leading to a widespread public misunderstanding of what vaccines actually accomplish.
People believed that if you get this vaccine you wont get COVID, said Adams , when the real aim was to prevent severe cases of the disease.
Messenger RNA, or mRNA, technology has potential far beyond COVID.
At Emory University, for instance, researchers are looking into using mRNA technology to train the immune system to cure cancer and chronic infections, thanks to a $24.8 million federal grant.
The three-year program was funded by the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health, or ARPA-H, which Kennedy merged with the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, or BARDA, in March only to announce Tuesday hed be pulling the funding for BARDAs mRNA investments.
The inaugural director of ARPA-H, Dr. Renee Wegrzyn, was fired by the Trump administration in February amid mass layoffs at the Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Tiba Biotech, another research company that saw its HHS contracts terminated Tuesday, is investigating using mRNA to combat tick-borne diseases. Thanks to climate change , more ticks are surviving through warmer winters, leading to a sharp increase in tick-borne illnesses.
Mike Osterholm, a University of Minnesota expert on infectious diseases and pandemic preparations, told The Associated Press the decision on mRNA research is a historically bad one.
I dont think Ive seen a more dangerous decision in public health in my 50 years in the business, he said.
