The Trump administration is preparing to take the unprecedented step of removing COVID-19 vaccines from the U.S. market “within months,” according to Dr. Aseem Malhotra, a close ally of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Malhotra, a British cardiologist and outspoken vaccine skeptic, told The Daily Beast that the move is under serious consideration among Kennedy’s circle and “influential” members of President Donald Trump’s family. Neither Kennedy nor the Trumps hold scientific credentials.

The prediction, if borne out, would mark a seismic break from established public-health policy. The COVID-19 vaccines remain widely endorsed by the medical community as safe and effective, despite arguments by Kennedy and his advisers that they pose a greater risk than the virus itself.

Malhotra said the administration’s decision could come in one sweeping action or in stages, pending a review of so-called “vaccine injuries” by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. “It could also come with one clean decision,” he added, even while acknowledging fears it would unleash “chaos” and invite legal challenges.

Kennedy, long a leading figure in the anti-vaccine movement, has already slashed $500 million in federal funding for mRNA vaccine development. He has repeatedly referred to the COVID shot as “the deadliest vaccine ever made,” despite no credible evidence supporting the claim.

Kennedy’s advisers, including Malhotra, often cite a 2022 paper in the journal Vaccine that argued recipients of mRNA vaccines faced a higher risk of “serious adverse events.” The study has been widely criticized as methodologically flawed and misleading. Mainstream experts say it grossly underestimates the overwhelming benefits of vaccination.

Still, Malhotra insisted the data sparked a firestorm inside Kennedy’s team when he presented it at a July meeting attended by senior HHS aides. He now plans to personally brief Trump in September. “He’s in a position to fix it,” Malhotra said, framing the move as a potential legacy issue for the president.

The speculation comes at a volatile moment. Earlier this month, an anti-vaccine extremist opened fire on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, killing a police officer. Investigators believe the shooter targeted the agency over his hatred of the COVID vaccine.

In response, more than 750 current and former staffers at the CDC, HHS, and NIH signed a letter accusing Kennedy of spreading dangerous misinformation and undermining the nation’s public-health infrastructure. They demanded he retract his claims and affirm the CDC’s scientific integrity.

“HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is complicit in dismantling America’s public health infrastructure and endangering the nation’s health by repeatedly spreading inaccurate health information,” the letter read.

The HHS defended Kennedy in a statement, insisting he “stood firmly with CDC employees” after the Atlanta shooting.

The White House dismissed Malhotra’s claims. “The Administration is relying on Gold Standard Science and is committed to radical transparency to make decisions that affect all Americans,” spokesman Kush Desai said. “Unless announced by the Administration, any discussion about HHS policy should be dismissed as baseless speculation.”

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)