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A total of 22 mRNA vaccine development contracts, totaling about $500 million, have been cancelled, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced Tuesday.
mRNA investment was part of the government’s Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Agency (BARDA), a division of HHS that promotes some of the nation’s most advanced scientific research, including the development of vaccines, drugs and other tools to combat the national health threats, including the development of vaccines, drugs and other tools. The termination of the 22 Barda contract will determine the path forward, following weeks of internal review for these investments.
“We reviewed science, listened to experts and acted,” HHS secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said Tuesday. “Barda has ended its 22 mRNA vaccine development investments, as it shows that these vaccines cannot effectively protect against upper respiratory tract infections such as Covid and the flu. We are moving its funds to a safer, broader vaccine platform that is effective even when the virus is mutated.”
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The termination of the 22 Barda contract will determine the path forward, following weeks of internal review for these investments. (Getty Images/Fox News)
In a short video explaining the move, Kennedy said the benefits simply do not outweigh the risks associated with mRNA vaccines.
Kennedy noted that, as shown during the Covid-19 pandemic, not only does it do not work well against viruses that infect the upper respiratory tract, but also does not protect against mutations in the virus that are intended to go later.
“This dynamic promotes a phenomenon known as the anozic shift, meaning that vaccines paradoxically promote new mutations and that the virus can constantly mutate and prolong the pandemic to avoid the protective effects of the vaccine,” Kennedy said in the video.
For example, the secretary of HHS pointed to an omicron mutant of the Covid-19 virus.
“Single mutations can make mRNA vaccines effective,” Kevvedi added, noting that the same risk applies to the influenza virus.
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The move to cancel mRNA contracts under Barda does not completely cancel all mRNA vaccine studies conducted by the government. In addition to ensuring that several final stage contracts complete the course to maintain previous taxpayer investments, mRNA research ongoing at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is not affected by this latest move.
In this composite image, HHS Executive Director RFK JR testified before the House Appropriations Committee on May 14, 2025, with an expansion of the Covid vaccine injection seen on the opposite panel. (Getty Images)
Meanwhile, instead of the mRNA research and investment that ended with Barda, HHS will focus on “safer and broader vaccine strategies,” Kennedy noted.
“To replace problematic mRNA programs, we will prioritize the development of safer and broader vaccine strategies, including vaccines across the virus and new platforms that don’t collapse when the virus mutates.”
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During the video, Kennedy repeated his support for “safe and effective vaccines” for Americans who want them.
“That’s why we’re investing in better solutions beyond the limits of respiratory virus mRNA.”
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