On Thursday, the stock market witnessed a significant decline in the shares of leading vaccine manufacturers following the announcement by President-elect Donald Trump that he had chosen Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for the role of Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services.

As news of Trump's nomination began to circulate just an hour before the market's close, Moderna, a key player in the development of Covid-19 vaccines, saw its stock prices plummet by as much as 6%, while Pfizer, another major vaccine developer, experienced a nearly 2% drop. Novavax, which has developed a protein-based Covid-19 vaccine, also saw its shares decline by almost 6%.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has long been a vocal proponent of anti-vaccine conspiracy theories and has consistently propagated misinformation regarding the safety and effectiveness of vaccines. Despite his controversial stance, Kennedy stated last week that he would commence an immediate review of vaccine safety and efficacy, while also assuring that he would not剥夺疫苗 from anyone.

The repercussions of this announcement extended to other companies in the vaccine industry as well. BioNTech, a German firm, saw its shares close 7% lower, and the British pharmaceutical company GSK experienced a 2% decline. American vaccine companies have been grappling with reduced demand since the peak of the pandemic.

Over the past year, Pfizer's stock has seen a 11% decrease, and Moderna's stock has plummeted by 46%. Pfizer's revenue and profits skyrocketed during the height of the pandemic, with nearly $57 billion in combined sales in 2022, largely due to its Comirnaty Covid-19 vaccine and Paxlovid antiviral treatment.

However, the surge in demand subsided by early 2023, prompting the company to lower its expectations for Covid-related sales. By that time, public health organizations had already amassed an adequate supply of vaccines to address patient needs. Following the official announcement by Trump, the stock prices of these companies continued to plummet.

Trump emphasized in a post on X, "The safety and health of all Americans is the paramount duty of any administration, and the Department of Health and Human Services will play a pivotal role in safeguarding everyone from harmful chemicals, pollutants, pesticides, pharmaceutical products, and food additives that have contributed to the overwhelming health crisis in this nation."