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HHS Withdraws $766 Million for Moderna’s Bird Flu mRNA Vaccine

Experts warn the decision could slow vaccine readiness for a mutating H5N1 virus that has infected more than 70 people with one confirmed death

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Overview

  • HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. canceled the $766 million BARDA contract with Moderna, citing unresolved safety and testing questions over the mRNA-based H5N1 vaccine program.
  • The Biden administration initially awarded Moderna $176 million in July 2024 and increased funding by $590 million in January 2025 to fast-track an mRNA bird flu shot.
  • Public health specialists caution that ending mRNA support may hinder rapid production of adaptable vaccines as H5N1 continues to mutate and spread among dairy cattle, wildlife and farmworkers.
  • Currently approved H5N1 vaccines rely on traditional egg- or cell-based manufacturing that can take months and may fail to match emerging virus strains.
  • More than 70 U.S. cases have been reported in this outbreak and one death confirmed, recalling H5N1’s mortality rates of up to 54 percent in past human infections.