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.