Key points
- Moderna, Pfizer, others impacted by sudden funding shift
- Health Secretary Kennedy cites “ineffectiveness”
- mRNA pioneers won Nobel Prize for Covid breakthroughs
ISLAMABAD: The United States (US) Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has announced the termination of 22 federal contracts for mRNA-based vaccines, citing safety concerns about the technology that was pivotal in ending the Covid-19 pandemic and saving millions of lives.
The Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (Barda), which supports the development of medical countermeasures, had invested billions during the pandemic to accelerate vaccine production, according to The Guardian.
Among the cancelled projects is a contract with Moderna for the final-stage development of a bird flu vaccine and the government’s right to purchase the shots.
HHS Secretary RFK Jr. announced in a statement Tuesday that $500 million worth of vaccine development projects, all using mRNA technology, will be halted.
What could possibly go wrong? pic.twitter.com/0adRwzmUni
— Republicans against Trump (@RpsAgainstTrump) August 5, 2025
The decision also affects multiple proposals from major pharmaceutical firms including Pfizer, Sanofi Pasteur, CSL Seqirus, and Gritstone.
Preserving taxpayer investment
In total, the cutbacks impact projects worth close to $500 million. However, certain late-stage efforts were spared “to preserve prior taxpayer investment.”
This marks a significant shift in US health policy under Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr, a known vaccine sceptic who has made sweeping changes since taking office.
Kennedy stated: “We reviewed the science, listened to the experts, and acted.” He claimed the decision stems from findings that mRNA vaccines “fail to protect effectively against upper respiratory infections like COVID and flu,” though no scientific evidence was provided in support.
“We’re shifting that funding toward safer, broader vaccine platforms that remain effective even as viruses mutate,” he added.
The move follows a comprehensive review of mRNA investments launched during the Covid-19 emergency. Since assuming office, Kennedy has overhauled key aspects of US health policy.
Dismissing experts
Notably, he dismissed an expert vaccine advisory panel and replaced its members with his own appointees. The newly formed panel swiftly voted to ban a vaccine preservative long criticised by anti-vaccine groups, despite its established safety.
Kennedy has also commissioned a study into the debunked theory linking vaccines to autism — a claim widely discredited by scientific consensus.
Unlike traditional vaccines using weakened viruses, mRNA vaccines introduce genetic instructions that prompt cells to produce a harmless mimic of a pathogen, helping the immune system recognise and combat the actual virus.
Though in development for decades, mRNA vaccines became widely used through Operation Warp Speed, a Trump-era initiative led by Barda. The technology’s pioneers, Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman, were awarded the 2023 Nobel Prize in Medicine for their contributions to rapid vaccine development during the global health crisis.
