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yesterday

HHS Axes $500 Million in BARDA mRNA Vaccine Projects, Drawing Intensifying Warnings

Scientists and former health leaders say the reversal undermines rapid vaccine readiness and risks ceding biotech leadership abroad.

File photo of an employee of the Bavarian Red Cross (BRK) preparing the Biontech/Pfizer vaccine against the corona virus SARS-CoV-2 for vaccination in a vaccination centre, taken in Bavaria, Germany, in January 2021.
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Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
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Overview

  • HHS under Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has terminated 22 BARDA-funded mRNA vaccine investments worth roughly $500 million and says the money will be redirected to other platforms without detailing timelines or recipients.
  • The cancellations follow an earlier May move to end a large Moderna mRNA flu contract, widening a shift away from a technology credited with speeding COVID-19 vaccines.
  • Projects reportedly affected targeted respiratory threats including seasonal flu, COVID-19, RSV and H5N1, with teams at Emory University, Tiba Biotech, Pfizer and Sanofi among those impacted.
  • Former BARDA director Rick Bright and other experts warn the cuts weaken national security and pandemic preparedness by discarding a rapid-response platform built through multi-agency investment.
  • Global health voices and industry figures caution that the policy and rhetoric are fueling vaccine distrust, chilling private investment, and opening space for Europe and China to advance mRNA research, including in cancer and HIV.