Marjorie Taylor Greene has spoken out against a new COVID-19 vaccine being approved in the United States, saying the move is “not MAHA at all.”
Why It Matters
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is facing repeated backlash for some of his positions on health and medicine, including from people who would ordinarily support him.
In May, prominent members of the Make America Great Again movement, including Nicole Shanahan, Kennedy’s former presidential running mate, and media personality Laura Loomer, spoke out against Kennedy Jr.’s pick for U.S. Surgeon General Casey Means.
In March, Kennedy Jr. sparked anger from anti-vax activists when he called on parents to “consult with their healthcare providers to understand their options to get the MMR vaccine,” with one saying he is “no different than Fauci.”
What To Know
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) gave the green light for mNEXSPIKE (mRNA-1283), Moderna’s new lower-dose COVID-19 vaccine, on May 31.
Greene, the U.S. representative for Georgia’s 14th congressional district, shared Moderna’s post about the recent approval with the caption: “Not MAHA at all!!! Unreal.”
She was referring to Kennedy Jr.’s movement Make America Healthy Again, whose mission is to “aggressively combat the critical health challenges facing our citizens, including the rising rates of mental health disorders, obesity, diabetes, and other chronic diseases.”
Newsweek has contacted the United States Department of Health and Human Services outside of office hours, via email, for comment.
The new vaccine is set to be used for adults 65 or older or people between the ages of 12 and 64 with at least one or more underlying risk factor as defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Approval for the jab is “based on results from a randomized, observer-blind, active-controlled Phase 3 clinical trial which enrolled approximately 11,400 participants aged 12 years and older,” Moderna says.
It comes after Kennedy Jr. announced that the CDC is no longer encouraging COVID-19 vaccines for pregnant women and healthy children, marking a shift in federal public health guidance.
What People Are Saying
Chief Executive Officer of Moderna Stéphane Bancel said in a statement: “The FDA approval of our third product, mNEXSPIKE, adds an important new tool to help protect people at high risk of severe disease from COVID-19.
“COVID-19 remains a serious public health threat, with more than 47,000 Americans dying from the virus last year alone. We appreciate the FDA’s timely review and thank the entire Moderna team for their hard work and continued commitment to public health.”
Kennedy Jr. said about the new CDC guidance: “I couldn’t be more pleased to announce that as of today the COVID vaccine for healthy children and healthy pregnant women has been removed from the CDC recommended immunization schedule.”
What Happens Next
The new vaccine is expected to be ready for those eligible to take it in time for the 2025-2026 respiratory virus season.
You should not get mNEXSPIKE if you had a severe allergic reaction after a previous dose of either mNEXSPIKE, SPIKEVAX (an mRNA vaccine for preventing COVID-19) or any Moderna COVID-19 vaccine or to any ingredient in these vaccines, the company warns.
