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3w ago

RFK Jr. Halts $500 Million in mRNA Vaccine Funding, Experts Warn of Preparedness Risks

Terminating support for 22 BARDA-backed mRNA projects has raised concerns that U.S. and allied rapid vaccine development will be undercut.

Then-Surgeon General Jerome Adams at a Coronavirus Task Force news conference at the White House on April 10, 2020.
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Overview

  • On August 5, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced the cancellation of nearly $500 million in BARDA-supported mRNA vaccine development contracts.
  • The department has formally halted funding for 22 mRNA research projects and signaled a shift toward older vaccine platforms Kennedy described as safer.
  • Leading scientists and former Surgeons General, including Jerome Adams, warned that cutting mRNA investments could leave the United States vulnerable to future pandemics and bioweapon threats.
  • mRNA technology, credited with speeding COVID-19 vaccine development and earning a Nobel Prize, enables design and production in days rather than months.
  • Canadian health experts cautioned that U.S. defunding will stall innovation and threaten Canada’s access to critical mRNA vaccine technology.