HHS Reconsiders $590 Million Moderna Contract for Bird Flu Vaccine

The Trump administration cites oversight concerns and broader scrutiny of mRNA vaccine spending in its review of the deal awarded during Biden's tenure.

The Department of Health and Human Services is reviewing a $590 million contract awarded to Moderna for the development of an mRNA-based bird flu vaccine.
The contract, approved in the final days of the Biden administration, aimed to accelerate vaccine development against the H5N1 avian influenza strain.
HHS, now led by vaccine-skeptic Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has raised concerns about oversight during the Biden administration and is reassessing vaccine production agreements.
The review coincides with a broader government effort to evaluate spending on mRNA-based vaccines, which Moderna and Pfizer used for COVID-19 vaccines.
Moderna, facing declining COVID-19 vaccine sales, had planned late-stage trials for the bird flu vaccine, but the funding uncertainty could delay progress.