Funding and public support for vaccines in the United States is at an all-time low. Promising research is resulting in effective antivirals, but they should not take the place of vaccines.
In the United States, public trust in vaccines is at an all-time low. In the beginning of August, the US Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. terminated almost $500 million in grants and contracts with numerous biotech companies related to mRNA vaccine development. He has stated that this funding will shift towards broader vaccine platforms that will remain effective even after viruses mutate, but an alternative reason for the funding cancellations is that the US public does not trust that they are safe and effective. This mistrust is not specific to mRNA vaccines -- the number of parents who vaccinate children against measles and other childhood diseases has been in decline for several years. This year has already seen more confirmed measles cases in the United States than in any other year since 2000, and 92% of these cases were in unvaccinated individuals. Globally, Canada, Europe and central Asia are also experiencing increased numbers of measles cases. If vaccines continue to struggle to gain public appeal, will there be antiviral drugs to turn to?