"Fromthe instant the coronavirus invaded our shores, we raced into action to develop a safe and effective vaccine at breakneck speed We harnessed the full power of government, the genius of American scientists, and the might of American industry to save millions and millions of lives all over the world The gold standard vaccine has been done in less than nine months."Thats not a pharmaceutical company executive, scientist or public health official talking. Its President Donald Trump.President Trump made thoseremarksin 2020 at a White House summit celebrating his administrations Operation Warp Speed initiative.Traditional vaccines often take years to develop. But thanks toa groundbreaking technology called mRNA and tremendous partnerships between government agencies and private companies,apowerfulvaccine for COVID-19 was developed less than a year after the virus was sequenced.His prediction that those vaccines would bea game-changerturned out to be correct. COVID-19 vaccines saved at least3.2 millionlives in the United States andmillions morearound the world. During a very dark time, it was an incredible achievement for our country.AFTER COVID CONFUSION, HOW CAN WE REBUILD TRUST IN PUBLIC HEALTH LEADERS?Yet Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is undermining that achievement bycancelingsubstantial federal research investments in mRNA the technology thathas already led to approved vaccines for COVID-19 andRSV, andholds tremendous potentialfor future treatments and cures for many diseases.Instead of supporting researchers on the verge ofrevolutionizingvaccine scienceand saving countless lives,Secretary Kennedy has chosen to tie theirhands.This decision will slow our progress, leave ournationunderprepared for the next major public health emergency,and significantly damage Americas leadership in the scientific and medical fields.President Trump should direct Secretary Kennedy toimmediatelyreverse this shortsighted decision.As a pediatrician for more than 30 years, I cared for childrenfromallwalks of life. Some had great health insurance; others had none. Some lived in wealthy neighborhoods; others grew up in poverty. But regardless of their circumstances, I strived to give every one of my patients the best possible care.Thatshow every doctor should approach medicine, andits also how policymakers should approach their jobs. Health is too important to be politicized.Scientists have been studying mRNA technology fordecades, and the more than13 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines that have been administered worldwide since 2020 have allowed researchers to assess their impact. The results are clear. mRNA technology has already saved millions of lives.CLICK HERE FOR MORE FOX NEWS OPINIONIt is alsoincrediblysafe;the vast majority ofside effects associated with mRNA COVID-19 vaccines areminorand do not require medical intervention.The beauty of thisparticulartechnologyis that scientists canquickly update and adapt those vaccinesto keep up with changes in the viruses they are targetingwithout sacrificing quality or safety.But the potential benefits of mRNA technology go well beyond a single virus. Scientists are working on mRNAvaccines and treatmentsthat can target multiple types of cancer, genetic disorders,several otherrespiratory viruses andall kinds ofrare diseases. Funding mRNA researchnow isalsocritical to helping us get ahead of the next bigpublichealth emergency, wheneverand wherever it arrives.That is why Secretary Kennedys decision toterminatefederal mRNA research investments and instead rely on older and slower vaccine technology isdeeply flawed. Health secretaries should not be denying Americans proven medical care. Stopping medical innovation in its tracks purely for ideological purposes isjust wrong.When it comes to your health, listen tothepeopleyou trust the mostyour doctor or nurse rather than politicians. As President Trump has said, COVID-19 vaccines are a "medical miracle," and mRNA holds so much promise for more Operation Warp Speed-type victories in the years ahead.But for that to happen,politiciansneed tounleash American innovation andletourscientists and researchers do what they do best.CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM DR. RICHARD BESSER