Lawmakers Question Kennedy on Vaccines, Biosecurity, and NIH Cuts



Lawmakers questioned Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on key issues like vaccines, biosecurity, and federal research funds in a week of congressional hearings about the HHS budget for 2026.


Kennedy was the sole witness at a May 20 hearing of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies, and two May 14 hearings—before the Senate Health Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee and the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies.


Kennedy found himself on defense over his positions on vaccines and cuts to National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding. On the subject of China and biosecurity, he urged reshoring of manufacturing, noting Eli Lilly’s efforts in this area.


Vaccines and measles

Many questions on vaccines focused on concerns that Kennedy has not done enough to encourage vaccination in the face of ongoing measles outbreaks.


During the House Appropriations hearing, Kennedy responded to a question from Rep. Mark Pocan (D-WI) about his confidence in measles vaccines, saying he would “probably” choose to vaccinate his children against measles again.


“I don’t think people should be taking medical advice from me,” Kennedy added, saying they should get this advice from NIH Director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya.


At the Senate HELP hearing, Democrats raised alarm over Kennedy’s stance on measles vaccines, arguing his statements eroded public trust and contradicted his confirmation hearing testimony.


Ranking Member Bernie Sanders (I-VT) alleged that Kennedy undermined confidence in vaccines during a major measles outbreak. Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-NH) raised similar concerns. Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) said Kennedy’s hesitance to unequivocally endorse measles vaccines is “really dangerous for the American public and for families.”


A few days later in the Senate Appropriations subcommittee hearing, Kennedy gave a direct endorsement for the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine.


“The best way to prevent the spread of measles is through vaccination. We urge people to get their MMR vaccines,” he said.

But he added that he understood why some are hesitant.


“There are groups in this country that don’t want to get vaccinated, many of them for religious reasons. I spend a lot of time with the Mennonites. The MMR vaccine has millions of fragments of human DNA in it from aborted fetal tissues and that’s a religious objection for them that I have to respect,” Kennedy said.


As experts have noted, there is no human DNA in MMR vaccines. The attenuated viruses in the rubella component of the vaccine are produced using a cell line obtained from the lung tissue of a single fetus in the 1960s. But those regenerated cells are only used to grow the rubella viruses, and the viruses made in this manner do not contain DNA from the human cells.


Vaccines and placebo testing

Other vaccine-related questions focused on Kennedy’s views about using placebos for vaccine testing.


Under a new framework announced May 20, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is expected to require placebo testing for annual COVID boosters in some circumstances. During the hearings, Kennedy promoted the idea of using placebos to test vaccines. Critics of this position note the ethical problem of denying clinical trial participants protection afforded by a vaccine if they receive a placebo.

“The only vaccine that has been tested in a full-blown placebo trial against an inert placebo was the COVID vaccine,” Kennedy told the HELP Committee.


HELP Committee Chair Bill Cassidy, MD (R-LA) corrected this comment.


“The secretary made the statement that no vaccines except for COVID have been evaluated against placebo. For the record that’s not true,” Sen. Cassidy told the hearing. “The rotavirus, measles and HPV vaccines have been, and some vaccines are tested against previous versions, so just for the record, to set that straight.”


In the Senate Appropriations subcommittee hearing the following week, Kennedy was asked by Sen. Brian Schatz (D-HI) if he believed vaccines that are already approved need to be retested using placebo trials.


“I don’t think it’s ethical to go back and retest those vaccines with a placebo,” Kennedy said. “The Cochrane Collaboration in 2016 published a study that showed that the predictive capacity of placebo control trials, which are the gold standard, is actually not any better than good observational trials and retrospective trials. So we can do those kinds of studies without subjecting people to an unethical experiment.”


NSCEB and biosecurity

Kennedy was also asked to address the findings of the recently released report by the Congressional National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology (NSCEB).


Created by Congress in the 2022 defense budget, the NSCEB in April released its report warning that China’s strategic spending on biotech R&D increased 400-fold in the last decade as they seek to eclipse U.S. dominance in the field. If the U.S. falls behind, it has serious implications for our national security and health, the report warned.


In the House Appropriations subcommittee, Rep. John Moolenaar (R-MI) mentioned the report and asked whether Kennedy saw overreliance on China for biotech as a threat. Kennedy responded that China is stealing U.S. IP and technology and claimed NIH has enabled this IP theft.


Kennedy said it is important to bring drug production home to the U.S. and noted drug makers are beginning to do that.


“I’ve met repeatedly with Eli Lilly, which is now building nine facilities, nine factories, in this country, including for essential medicines (and) the essential ingredients for those medicines.”


In the Senate HELP hearing later that day, Sen. Jim Banks (R-IN) asked for an update on efforts to reshore drug manufacturing from China to the U.S. Kennedy again mentioned Eli Lilly’s efforts to build production facilities in the U.S. and said movement toward reshoring has been encouraged by President Trump’s threats of tariffs on pharmaceutical companies.


Concerns about NIH funding

There was clear concern about the impact that budget cuts to the NIH would have on biomedical research and the innovation that brings us new drugs.


Lawmakers in all three hearings pushed back on Kennedy’s claims that the NIH is beset by corruption, that NIH cuts are focused on DEI programs rather than research, and that AI will enable the same number of clinical trials to continue despite cutbacks.

In the Senate HELP committee, Chair Cassidy warned that NIH budget reductions would impair capacity for crucial research on neurodegenerative diseases, hinder the development of new scientists, and undermine U.S. competitiveness with China.


Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) detailed a constituent’s delayed stage-four cancer treatment at the NIH Clinical Center due to staff firings and demanded that Kennedy supply information on specific number of staff cuts. Kennedy acknowledged NIH staff cuts would “hurt” but called them necessary.


Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) criticized the NIH’s proposed 15% cap on indirect research costs, calling it arbitrary, harmful to research, and likely to drive scientists abroad. She asked if Secretary Kennedy was evaluating its impact on laboratories. Kennedy said a review was underway.

Voicing a similar sentiment In the House Appropriations Committee, Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) said China and Europe are taking advantage of the firings of nearly 5,000 employees at NIH by recruiting American scientists.


As she opened the Senate Appropriations subcommittee hearing, Subcommittee Chair Shelley Moore Capito (R-WVA) underlined the importance of the NIH. “NIH-funded basic research is also behind many of the 600+ new cancer treatments the FDA has approved over the last 20 years,” and other important breakthroughs, Capito said.


‘I am concerned that our country is falling behind in biomedical research,” she added. “Investing in biomedical research has proven to save lives while exponentially strengthening the U.S. economy.”


Author: Tom Popper is the Managing Editor of Bio.News.

Athens Bioscience Names New Leadership Team to Drive Commercial Growth

June 18, 2026
June 18, 2026 - Athens Bioscience, Inc., a US manufacturer of native human and animal proteins, today announced a change in leadership. Benjamin Newland, the company’s Executive Chairman, has become Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, effective today. John Mitchell, who has led the company as CEO for five years, will continue as special advisor. Karson Durie rejoins Athens as Chief Operating Officer, effective June 8, 2026. Dee Athwal, a biotechnology executive and antibody engineer, will join the board of directors on July 1, 2026. Newland becomes chief executive four decades after his father, Dr. Hillary Newland, co-founded the company that became Athens Bioscience in 1986 at the University of Georgia. Newland has served as Chairman and majority shareholder since March 2024 and is relocating from Spain to Athens, Georgia, to take the role. “For forty years Athens has made native proteins in-house, lot after lot — proteins that researchers and diagnostics labs build their own work on top of,” said Benjamin Newland, Chairman and CEO of Athens Bioscience. “What we want to do now is deepen relationships with our core customers and broaden our distribution.We also intend to develop our custom and contract manufacturing line of business. John was instrumental in building internal systems and processes and now we are ready to scale.” Mitchell led Athens for five years. As special advisor, he will support the transition and continue to advise on customer and commercial matters. “Athens made great proteins long before I showed up. What it needed was a tighter operation behind them – steadier planning, cleaner production, shipments you can count on,” said John Mitchell. “That’s built now. The next thing is getting Athens in front of more of the world and I look forward to supporting Benjamin as he moves forward with that.” Durie returns to Athens as Chief Operating Officer, having most recently served as Director of Product Development at Danimer Scientific. She previously served as Lab Director at Athens. She holds a PhD in polymer chemistry and an MBA in finance from the University of Georgia and is a Project Management Professional (PMP) and a registered patent agent. “I know this facility and the people in it,” said Karson Durie, Chief Operating Officer of Athens Bioscience. “Returning as COO is a chance to scale what already works — consistent lots, tight quality control, reliable supply — as demand grows across diagnostics and cell culture.” Athwal will join the board on July 1. He trained as a biophysicist and established the antibody engineering group at Celltech, where he is named as an inventor on foundational antibody-engineering patents. He has founded or co-founded five biotechnology companies and held C-level roles across the UK, US, Europe, Asia, and Latin America, including building Complement Therapeutics as CEO and leading the biologics strategy at Kelix Bio through its acquisition by Mubadala. His work in antibodies, immune proteins, and complement biology maps directly to Athens’s largest product lines. About Athens Bioscience  Athens Bioscience, Inc. (formerly Athens Research & Technology) manufactures native human and animal proteins for research, cell culture media, and in vitro diagnostics. Founded in 1985 at the University of Georgia, the company purifies more than 170 native proteins in-house at its ISO 9001:2015-certified facility in Athens, Georgia. Athens proteins have been cited in more than 2,500 peer-reviewed publications and reach customers across the US, Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. Athens does not resell or broker. It manufactures. Media Contact Christie DeMasi Athens Bioscience, Inc. christie@athensbioscience.com +1.706.546.0207

Showcase Your Startup at the 2026 Georgia Life Sciences Summit

June 17, 2026
As part of the Georgia Life Sciences Summit (August 25–26), applications are now open for the Startup Showcase , sponsored by Johnson & Johnson , highlighting early-stage innovation across MedTech and Therapeutics . The Showcase will feature some of Georgia’s most innovative life science startups, giving emerging companies the opportunity to present groundbreaking technologies, products, and solutions to a distinguished audience of industry leaders, investors, researchers, and partners. Selected startups will present during the August 26 luncheon program and participate in a live investor Q&A session with John Gutierrez (Ascenta Capital), Emma Heckenberg, Ph.D. (Solas BioVentures), Patrick Jordan (NovaQuest Capital Management), and Emily Dinu (Numinous Capital) Members of the Johnson & Johnson external innovation team will also be onsite for the program and select companies will be scheduled for a 1:1 meeting to discuss strategic alignment and potential collaboration opportunities. If you or companies in your network are building in MedTech or Therapeutics, this is a strong opportunity to gain visibility, receive feedback on commercialization and growth strategy, and connect with key stakeholders. All applicants receive a complimentary Summit registration, and one selected company will also be invited to participate in the NewYorkBIO / New York Stock Exchange Life Sciences Showcase on December 10. If this is relevant to your work, it would be a strong opportunity to consider applying. If not, it may be worth sharing with companies in your network who are building in this space.

Georgia Life Sciences Educator Connection | June Newsletter

June 15, 2026
Workforce & Education Impact: Building Georgia's Future  Life Sciences Workforce - One Teacher at a Time June 16, 2026 - As Georgia Life Sciences concludes the 2025-2026 cycle of the Biotech Teacher Training Initiative (BTTI), the results reinforce the critical role educators play in building the state's future life sciences workforce. Since July of 2025, BTTI engaged 98 educators representing 40 schools across 23 school systems, reaching an estimated 5,375 students through hands-on biotechnology instruction, career-connected learning, and industry-relevant classroom experiences. The Georgia Life Sciences Equipment Depot further expanded the program's impact by supporting 238 teachers with access to laboratory equipment and materials that make authentic life sciences learning possible. Georgia Life Sciences is also pleased to report that funding for BTTI was maintained in the Georgia House version of the FY 2027 budget approved earlier this year. The upcoming 2026-2027 program cycle will mark an important evolution for BTTI. Building on feedback from industry partners and workforce trends across the life sciences sector, Georgia Life Sciences will expand the program's scope to better reflect the skills and competencies employers increasingly need. In addition to foundational biotechnology concepts, future programming will be organized around key industry domains, including Quality Assurance and Quality Control (QA/QC), Research & Development (R&D), MedTech, Artificial Intelligence, Automation, and Advanced Manufacturing. This expanded approach will provide educators with greater insight into the breadth of career opportunities available across Georgia's life sciences ecosystem while helping students develop awareness of the technologies and disciplines shaping the industry's future. The impact extends far beyond individual workshops, creating lasting connections between Georgia classrooms and the state's growing life sciences ecosystem while helping build the talent pipeline that will power Georgia's future innovation economy. "Before BTTI, I was hesitant to do biotech labs because they seemed too complex and expensive," shared Josephine Jeganathan of Stockbridge High School. "The program showed me how simplified it can be and provided the equipment and materials needed to successfully implement the Central Dogma Lab with all my classes." Teachers are also seeing increased student engagement through hands-on learning experiences. Tonie Curry of North Clayton High School used a chromatography lab to connect environmental science concepts to water pollution and sustainability. "Students were highly interested in seeing how substances separated and made strong connections to water pollution and environmental sustainability," Curry noted. "The hands-on nature of the lab encouraged curiosity and deeper understanding." For many educators, one of the most valuable aspects of the program is the connection between classroom learning and real-world careers. As Marshai Waiters of Marietta Middle School reflected: "Exposure is key. There are so many avenues to work in STEM, and they are all accessible with opportunity and knowledge. The insights gained from industry speakers will inform my teaching and create new opportunities for student exposure." When teachers are trained, equipped, and connected to industry, students gain more than a science lesson—they gain a window into Georgia's life sciences future.
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