Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has made numerous misleading statements about the efficacy and safety of mRNA COVID vaccines and mRNA technology in general.

His comments have stirred unease among many and reduced trust in mRNA vaccines.

He has alleged that the COVID vaccines were not adequately tested prior to marketing and that long term adverse effects have not been determined.

Moreover, adverse effects caused by the vaccine additives were not communicated to the public.

In truth, the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines were tested on 33,000 and 44,000 volunteers, respectively. One half of the groups received the vaccine, and the other half received a placebo containing only vaccine additives. No significant adverse effects were noted in either group.

In 1980, the CDC and FDA implemented a post marketing surveillance system to monitor long-term effects of vaccines. COVID vaccines have been monitored since 2000. Except for a rare (550 cases/101 million individuals) COVID mRNA vaccine induced cardiac myopathy, no other significant adverse effects have been reported.

Kennedy has also told his followers that the COVID vaccines do not work, and people can be infected following vaccination. Data show that the mRNA COVID vaccines were highly effective saving 3.2 million lives and preventing 18 million hospitalizations.

With respect to infection or reinfection following vaccination, vaccines do not provide complete coverage in a population. Because of a genetic quirk 1% to 5% of a vaccinated population fail to generate protective antibodies and are susceptible to repeated symptomatic COVID infections. In addition, intramuscular vaccination only protects the lungs from infection and does not offer protection to the respiratory mucosa.

Since the respiratory tract is not protected during the initial infection, some individuals retain the COVID virus in the nasal passages for 14 days after completion of the two-dose vaccination protocol.

These breakthrough infections have mild symptoms localized in the nose or upper respiratory tract. The incidence of breakthrough infections is estimated to be slightly more than 10,000 cases among 101 million fully vaccinated adults.

Using his ambiguous and erroneous statements as a rationale, Robert Kennedy shut down $500 million in governmental research on mRNA vaccines and voided a $750 million contract with Moderna to develop a vaccine for the possible pandemic H5N1 avian flu virus.

Critics have argued that these decisions will set back mRNA vaccine research for years or decades and reduce the nation’s preparedness for emerging threats.

Nine new animal viruses with pandemic potential have been identified in the last 10 years. Whether these viruses will cause a pandemic is unknown. As an essential public safeguard, vaccine technology is needed that can swiftly produce and distribute vaccines.

mRNA vaccines are the only counter measures that can slow a cataclysmic pandemic. These vaccines can be produced in a laboratory and reach people within 12 months.

In contrast, traditional viral vaccine production requires thousands of fertilized chicken eggs, large tissue culture facilities, and lengthy purification.

Safety testing and distribution usually takes at least 18-24 months. In the interim, there would be significant mortality.

Robert Kennedy is playing Russian roulette with the American public. The result may be a horrific loss of life in a pandemic.

Dennis K. Flaherty is an internationally known expert in Immunotoxicology, a Science Fellow emeritus at the Monsanto Corp., a holder of multiple patents, and an author of six books. He is a graduate of West Liberty University, holds advanced degrees from West Virginia University and resides in Charleston.

Editor’s note: This op-ed first appeared in the Charleston Gazette-Mail.