US government halts mRNA vaccine development projects

The US Health Secretary has stopped about $500m worth of funding for the development of mRNA vaccines against viruses that cause illnesses such as flu and Covid-19. Robert F. Kennedy - a vaccine sceptic - claims they pose many risks. Newshour hears from vaccinology professor Dr. Paul Offit who says Mr Kennedy's decision is not based on science.

Also in the programme: we hear from a Hiroshima survivor; and the gorilla sisterhood.

(Picture: A nurse prepares a booster dose of the Moderna mRNA Covid-19 vaccine, Spikevax, at a vaccination centre in Berlin, Germany, January 1, 2022. Credit: Reuters)