U.S. Well being Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. introduced plans Tuesday to cancel $500 million in vaccine growth initiatives.
In an announcement from his workplace, the longtime vaccine critic mentioned all initiatives to be halted use mRNA expertise.
“After reviewing the science and consulting prime specialists at NIH and FDA, HHS has decided that mRNA expertise poses extra danger than advantages for these respiratory viruses,” Kennedy mentioned in a video posted on social platform X, referring to Covid-19 and flu mRNA vaccines. The secretary has lengthy been suspicious of the mRNA vaccine platform.
The deliberate cancellation of contracts consists of work with Emory College and Tiba Biotech. Proposals from Pfizer, Sanofi Pasteur, CSL Seqirus, Gritstone and others can even be rejected, in response to HHS.
Rick Shiny, who led HHS’s Biomedical Superior Analysis and Growth Authority, or BARDA, from 2016 to 2020 — and criticized the Trump administration’s early Covid response — slammed the choice, calling it a “enormous strategic misstep.”
“This determination indicators a harmful complacency,” Shiny mentioned in a textual content. “Disinvesting from mRNA strips us of one of many quickest instruments we now have to comprise the subsequent pandemic, pure or deliberate. Pulling again from confirmed medical countermeasure platforms at a time of escalating international bio‑dangers deeply compromises nationwide safety.”
HHS mentioned the cancellations influence 22 initiatives price practically $500 million — nonetheless, some contracts of their last stage will likely be “allowed to run their course to protect prior taxpayer funding.”
The federal well being division mentioned it’s instructing the World Well being Funding Company — which helps handle BARDA’s technological investments — to stop mRNA-based fairness investments. Nonetheless, HHS mentioned different mRNA applied sciences “inside the division will not be impacted by this announcement.”
HHS mentioned future BARDA vaccine investments will deal with applied sciences resembling whole-virus vaccines and different new immunization platforms.