In a Saturday interview on Steve Bannon’s WarRoom, Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), discussed the landmark decision by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to cancel hundreds of millions in contracts dedicated to the mass production of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines. This move signals a significant shift in U.S. health policy under President Donald Trump’s administration, which has prioritized transparency and a reevaluation of pandemic-era strategies.
Bhattacharya, a Stanford professor and co-author of the Great Barrington Declaration in 2020, explained that the cancellation came after recognizing the mRNA vaccine platform’s failure to deliver on public health expectations. Despite relentless government promotion, uptake of the latest mRNA vaccines remains extremely low: less than 5% among children under five, and under 25% in the general population. Public distrust is widespread, making it clear the platform is no longer viable for mass vaccine campaigns.
Scientifically, Bhattacharya broke down the core issues with mRNA technology. The vaccines work by instructing the body’s cells to produce spike proteins—antigens meant to trigger immunity against COVID-19. However, the technology lacks precise control over the dose of antigen produced, the distribution of the vaccine within the body, and the avoidance of off-target proteins. While the vaccines may have offered some short-term protection against severe disease and death in older adults early in the pandemic, their effectiveness in preventing infection and transmission was limited. Bhattacharya himself was vaccinated but contracted COVID shortly after, a common occurrence.
The mRNA vaccines presented notable side effects, including myocarditis—inflammation of the heart muscle—in younger males, raising safety concerns. For younger populations, where COVID-19 mortality risk is very low, the risk-benefit balance was unfavorable.
Bhattacharya criticized the public health and media establishments for pushing the mRNA vaccines aggressively despite these issues. He pointed to relentless propaganda and bullying tactics, citing late-night host Stephen Colbert’s mocking of skeptics as an example of how public discourse was distorted. According to Bhattacharya, this approach damaged public trust in health authorities and science itself.
Regarding why the initial enthusiasm for mRNA vaccines was so intense, Bhattacharya noted multiple factors. Financial incentives played a role, with billions in contracts and funding motivating rapid development and deployment. More importantly, the panic and uncertainty of early 2020 fueled a rush to embrace any potential solution. Operation Warp Speed aimed to accelerate vaccine development at an unprecedented pace, and many experts hoped mRNA technology could be a game-changer. However, this hope blinded the establishment to the data’s limitations.
Looking ahead, Bhattacharya and Kennedy’s leadership represent a push for "platinum-level science” and radical transparency. Bhattacharya emphasized the need for honest communication with the public about what is known, what isn’t, and where uncertainties remain. He rejects the "trust me” approach in favor of presenting clear evidence and fostering open scientific debate. This, he believes, is the only way to rebuild trust eroded by prior misinformation and coercion.
In practical terms, Bhattacharya supports investing in more traditional vaccine technologies, such as whole-virus or inactivated vaccines, which may offer safer and more reliable options for diseases like COVID-19 and influenza. He also launched the "Director’s Desk” podcast to engage directly with the public, discussing ongoing research and breakthroughs, including promising treatments for diseases like sickle cell anemia.
Steve Bannon praised the decision as courageous, noting the significant internal resistance Kennedy faced from lobbyists and entrenched interests. Bannon also highlighted the role of pharmaceutical advertising in shaping media narratives and called for banning pharma ads on TV to reduce conflicts of interest and promote honest journalism.
This interview marks a clear break from previous pandemic policies and signals the Trump administration’s commitment to revising its COVID-19 vaccine strategy. By ending reliance on a distrusted mRNA platform and promoting transparency and scientific rigor, the government aims to restore faith in public health efforts and prevent future missteps.
Watch the full interview:
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