President Donald Trump’s Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has concluded an award totaling more than $750 million, totally offered to drug manufacturer Moderna to promote the production of mRNA-based avian flu vaccines.
During the final week of President Joe Biden’s inauguration, his administration awarded Moderna $590 million to speed up production of mRNA-based vaccines. The $590 million award followed another $176 million award that Biden gave Moderna for MRNA vaccine technology last year.
Messenger RNA vaccines are a new type of vaccine technology that companies such as Moderna and Pfizer have used to develop Covid-19 vaccines. Vaccine technology has been at the heart of many criticism amid the coronavirus pandemic as it could be linked to side effects in some people who took them, such as myocarditis.
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On Wednesday, August 25th, 2021, the man receives his first dose of the Pfizer vaccine at the vaccination clinic at Long Speak Student Center at Front Range Community College in Fort Collins. (Jon Austria/The Coloradoan/USA Today Network)
Trump administration officials have previously suggested that the funds could end, citing a lack of surveillance during the Biden administration related to vaccine production.
“After a rigorous review, we concluded that Moderna’s ongoing investment in H5N1 mRNA vaccines cannot be scientifically or ethically justified,” said Andrew Nixon, director of HHS Communications. “This isn’t just about effectiveness, it’s about safety, integrity and trust. The reality is that mRNA technology remains under-tested and does not spend taxpayer dollars on repeating the mistakes of the public administration.
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The announcement reflects a major shift in federal vaccine priorities after HHS Executive Director Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced earlier this week that the Covid-19 vaccine would be removed from the list of recommended vaccines for children and pregnant women.
Meanwhile, a Senate Republican report released earlier this month suggested that the Biden administration withheld critical safety data and downplayed known risks linked to the mRNA covid-19 vaccine. In particular, the Senate report focuses on the recognition and response of HHS, a type of cardiac inflammation, a case of myocarditis after Covid-19 vaccination.
HHS Director Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced earlier this week that the federal government will remove the mRNA-based Covid-19 vaccine from its list of federal recommended vaccines for children and pregnant women. (Getty Images/Fox News)
“As opposed to providing the public with immediate and transparent information about the risk of myocarditis after the MRNA Covid-19 vaccine, the Biden administration has waited until late June 2021 to announce label changes for Moderni and Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccines based on modern increased risks. “While CDC and FDA officials were well aware of the risk of myocarditis after the Covid-19 vaccine, the Biden administration has chosen to withhold for months to risk the health of young Americans and issue formal warnings about safety concerns.”
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In response to the end of Trump administration’s funding, Moderna confirmed the move and issued a press release, but also touted the “safety profile” observed amid work on the new mRNA avian flu vaccine.
“While the end of funding from HHS adds uncertainty, we are pleased with the robust immune response and safety profile observed in this preliminary analysis of the first/2 phase study of the H5 avian influenza vaccine. “These clinical data for pandemic influenza highlight the important role that MRNA technology has played in combating emerging health threats.”
Brooke Singman of Fox News Digital contributed to this report.
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