Advertisement

Close this content

Vaccine Maker Stocks Fall After Trump Taps RFK Jr. to Head HHS

Gerry Smith

14 November 2024 at 5:08 pm·1-min read

(Bloomberg) -- Shares of vaccine makers plunged after President-elect Donald Trump nominated Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to run the Department of Health and Human Services, a post that would give the longtime vaccine skeptic influence over the nation’s health and medical research agencies.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Covid vaccine maker Moderna Inc. dropped 5.6% at the close of regular trading Thursday and lost an additional 1.4% post-market. Pfizer Inc. dropped 2.6% in regular trading while its Covid vaccine partner BioNTech SE sank 7%. Novavax Inc. dipped 7% at the close.

Kennedy has long been critical of immunizations, contending that they lack effectiveness and have links to autism, claims that have been repeatedly debunked. While he said last week that he wouldn’t take vaccines away from Americans, he assailed the science behind the shots’ safety, saying it “has huge deficits, and we’re going to make sure those scientific studies are done and that people can make informed choices.”

Kennedy will restore US regulators and public health agencies to “the traditions of Gold Standard Scientific Research,” Trump said in a statement on social media where he announced the nomination.

The prospect of Kennedy’s role in the next administration has alarmed public health officials who warned in recent days about the risks of curtailing vaccination efforts.

Vaccines are crucial to protecting children from deadly diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Mandy Cohen said Wednesday at the Milken Institute Future of Health Summit in Washington. “I don’t want to have to see us go backward in order to remind ourselves that vaccines work,” she said.

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

©2024 Bloomberg L.P.

Australian Associated Press
Hawthorn livewire has a Power-ful hunger for revenge
Hawthorn's next meeting with Port Adelaide will be one of the most eagerly anticipated games of 2025, and Nick Watson already has it circled on his calendar.
Australian Associated Press
Djokovic to launch 'fair dinkum' AO crack in Brisbane
Tennis legend Novak Djokovic has joined Nick Kyrgios in opting to use the Brisbane International as a tune-up for the Australian Open.
Australian Associated Press
Bank backs down after 'greedy' fee for cash access
The Commonwealth Bank will pause account changes that would have meant some customers had to pay $3 to withdraw their cash.
Australian Associated Press
Obsessed suitor jailed for 'brutal and frenzied' murder
A man who became obsessed with a fellow congregant before killing her in a "brutal and frenzied" attack has been sentenced to decades in jail.
Australian Associated Press
Australia's vote against Israel at the UN a 'sellout'
Australia has split with the US in a United Nations vote demanding an Israeli withdrawal, as Labor is accused of abandoning the US and the Jewish community.
Australian Associated Press
Calls mount to arrest South Korea president Yoon
Although South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol lifted his declaration of martial law hours after it began, there are growing calls for him to be arrested.
Australian Associated Press
'Miserable' employment services failing job seekers
Barriers to entry-level roles are locking job seekers out of the market and making it harder for employers to plug labour shortages.
Australian Associated Press
Pies, Hawks keen to lure off-contract Dees star Harris
High-profile Melbourne talent Tayla Harris is set to headline the AFLW trade period, with Hawthorn and Collingwood vying for the All-Australian's services.
Australian Associated Press
Skipper McGrath to put stamp on team in Healy's absence
Tahlia McGrath will relish her first full series in charge of Australia's women's cricket team, keen to put her own stamp on the side with Alyssa Healy out.
Australian Associated Press
Mattel sued over 'Wicked' doll box porn website link
After Mattel mistakenly printed a link to a pornographic website on the box of its Wicked-inspired doll, a US woman is suing for "horrific" emotional distress.
Australian Associated Press
Kohli returns to Adelaide, his happiest hunting ground
Indian megastar Virat Kohli has returned to form and now has returned to his favourite ground in cricket, Adelaide Oval.
Australian Associated Press
Ruud off to flyer with Foxes against hapless Hammers
In two early relegation six-pointers in the EPL season, Leicester City have defeated West Ham United 3-1 and Crystal Palace beat Ipswich Town 1-0.
Australian Associated Press
Spinner Murphy hoping for another taste of Sri Lanka
Back to his best following a shoulder injury, offspinner Todd Murphy is confident he can again deliver in Sri Lanka if selected for the upcoming tour.
Australian Associated Press
Safety warning after South Korea martial law push
Australia's foreign affairs bureaucrats are advising extra caution for travellers in South Korea after its president's bid to declare martial law was thwarted.
Australian Associated Press
'Tyranny of distance' still plaguing remote health care
Thousands of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people live more than one hour's drive from basic health care services.
Australian Associated Press
Murder accused cries as he fronts court for first time
A 55-year-old man arrested over the alleged fatal assault of another man has appeared in court for the first time since being charged with murder.
Australian Associated Press
Bangladesh beat Windies in Jamaica to tie Test series
A second-innings Taijul Islam five-for has steered Bangladesh to a first Test victory in the Caribbean in over a decade, beating West Indies by 101 runs.
Australian Associated Press
Konstas says he's ready to play Tests for Australia
Rising star Sam Konstas says wants the challenge of playing Test cricket for Australia as soon as possible, believing he is ready to debut at age 19.
Australian Associated Press
'Decades' for ex-coal sites to be safe to go nuclear
Legal requirements to make ex-coal sites safe will blow up the coalition's nuclear deadline, an inquiry hears, while polling shows a gender divide on reactors.
Australian Associated Press
20-time champs Bayern, Freiburg KO'd in German Cup
Bayern Munich have suffered their first domestic defeat of the season, going down 1-0 at home to rivals Bayer Leverkusen in the German Cup round of 16.