The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said on 5 August that it will wind down messenger-RNA vaccine development overseen by its Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, canceling 22 contracts valued at almost $500 million. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said a departmental review concluded that mRNA shots for respiratory viruses “fail to protect effectively against upper-respiratory infections like COVID and flu” and that resources will shift to broader, whole-virus and other vaccine platforms. Projects affected include a late-stage contract with Moderna for an H5N1 bird-flu vaccine and pending or early-stage proposals from Pfizer, Sanofi, CSL Seqirus, Gritstone and academic partners such as Emory University. HHS added that the National Institutes of Health and the Department of Defense may continue separate mRNA research and that other uses of the technology inside the department are not covered by the decision. Researchers, medical societies and security analysts criticized the move, noting that mRNA vaccines saved millions of lives during the COVID-19 pandemic and can be adapted far faster than traditional shots. STAT and Reuters quoted experts who said the cut leaves the United States “unilaterally disarming” against future natural or deliberate biological threats. Moderna’s shares fell about 3 percent after news of the cancellations. The step follows Kennedy’s earlier suspension of U.S. funding for the global vaccine alliance Gavi, underscoring a broader reorientation of federal vaccine policy since the start of President Donald Trump’s second term. Congressional Democrats and several professional associations urged HHS to reconsider, warning that abandoning mRNA technology could slow responses to emerging pathogens and stall work on cancer and other non-infectious-disease applications.
BREAKING: RFK Jr.’s new universal vaccine is set to receive production funding from the Bill Gates Foundation. https://t.co/3f26GoewE1
Investigadores y expertos en salud denunciaron que el Gobierno dé #EstadosUnidos🇺🇸, bajo la dirección del secretario de Salud, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., canceló 22 contratos federales para vacunas basadas en ARNm utilizando afirmaciones falsas. https://t.co/g2MONgmIAl
🚨 KENNEDY SHUTS DOWN $500M IN MRNA VACCINE PROJECTS AMID SAFETY DEBATE RFK Jr. halts 22 federal mRNA vaccine projects worth nearly $500M, citing ineffectiveness against respiratory infections; critics warn the move undermines pandemic preparedness and scientific progress. https://t.co/W3uWCVEnOZ