Overview

• The Department of Health and Human Services canceled a $766 million BARDA award to Moderna for its experimental mRNA bird flu vaccine, citing safety and trust issues.
• Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. removed all 17 members of the CDC’s independent vaccine advisory panel, raising questions about future mRNA approvals.
• Kennedy announced COVID-19 mRNA vaccines will no longer be recommended for children and pregnant women despite the CDC retaining the shots on its childhood immunization schedule.
• The administration’s moves mark a stark reversal from President Trump’s 2020 praise of mRNA vaccines as the “gold standard” achieved under Operation Warp Speed.
• Skeptics including Kennedy and physician Joseph Varon have flagged the expedited approval process and potential safety gaps while experts such as immunologist E. John Wherry point to extensive data showing low serious-adverse-event rates and proven efficacy.