When COVID-19 cases were surging, Dr. David Wohl saw patients "hungry for air" fill UNC hospital wards. What most saved lives, he said, were vaccines developed with unprecedented speed using mRNA technologies.

This was one in a continuing line of moves that have put Kennedy's vaccine skepticism into public policy, though scientists say the vaccines are safe.

While anti-vaxxers are thrilled, experts warn that defunding mRNA development takes away our already-proven best weapon against future pandemics.