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HHS Halts $500 Million in mRNA Vaccine Deals as Critics Warn of Security and Science Setbacks

Experts warn the move weakens U.S. pandemic readiness, risking a loss of global leadership.

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

  • On August 5, HHS under Robert F. Kennedy Jr. terminated 22 BARDA and NIH-linked mRNA vaccine projects worth roughly $500 million and said funds would be redirected to other platforms without detailing timelines or targets.
  • Kennedy argued mRNA shots fall short at preventing upper‑respiratory infections such as COVID and flu, a rationale scientists dispute given strong evidence for reducing severe disease and deaths.
  • In May, HHS also canceled a separate $600 million Moderna contract for an mRNA H5N1 flu vaccine, signaling a broader retreat from federally backed mRNA infectious‑disease work.
  • Affected efforts included proposals and projects from Emory University, Tiba Biotech, Pfizer, Sanofi and others aimed at influenza, COVID‑19, RSV and H5N1, raising concerns about stalled research and readiness.
  • Former BARDA director Rick Bright and other scientists say abandoning mRNA undercuts rapid response capacity, chills investment, and could shift innovation and manufacturing to Europe and China.