Now part two of the Health and Climate Tuesday section of the show, as we do every week.

Last week, the Trump administration announced it will cut funding to MRNA vaccine development,

totaling $500 million that researchers get from the federal government.

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has said this would end 22 contracts

to develop vaccines to fight COVID-19 and the bird flu, among other respiratory viruses.

Many health care professionals and scientists have denounced this move, and our next guest

joins that criticism.

He calls this move, quote, the most dangerous public health decision he's ever seen, ever

made by a government body.

Joining us now is Dr. Michael Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research

and Policy, known as Sidrap at the University of Minnesota, and the director of the

Vaccine Integrity Project.

He's also the co-author of the forthcoming book, The Big One, How We Must Prepare for Future

Deadly Pandemics.

Dr. Osterholm, welcome at WNYC.

Thank you.

Great to be with you.

I appreciate you coming on and walking through this major announcement that just came out days ago.

So I love an explanation to start.

MRNA vaccines have been studied for years, but it wasn't until the rapid development

of the COVID-19 vaccine that the broader public really became familiar with the technology.

Can you refresh your memories here?

...