HHS Drops Funding for mRNA Vaccine Development in Favor of Alternative Platforms and Whole-Virus Vaccines
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has announced plans to redirect funding from mRNA vaccine development, instead investing in various other vaccine platforms through the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA). This shift was confirmed on Tuesday.
In a statement, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. revealed that BARDA will discontinue 22 investments in mRNA vaccine development due to their perceived lack of effectiveness against upper respiratory infections such as Covid and flu, despite evidence demonstrating their efficacy in preventing severe disease and death from Covid-19, and potential benefits against influenza.
However, some final stage contracts will continue, with HHS stating that no new mRNA-based projects will be initiated moving forward. The department aims to focus on vaccine platforms with stronger safety records and transparent clinical data practices going forward, according to the announcement.
The decision follows a review of scientific evidence and expert opinions, Kennedy said. Technologies with questionable safety profiles or opaque clinical data practices will be phased out in favor of evidence-based, ethically grounded solutions like whole-virus vaccines and novel platforms, HHS stated.
mRNA technology is a single strand of genetic code that cells can utilize to produce proteins. In the context of Covid vaccines, mRNA directs the body’s cells to manufacture a specific piece of the virus’s spike protein. When the immune system encounters this protein, it recognizes it as foreign and prepares to defend against infection.
The rapid development and manufacturing capabilities of mRNA vaccines proved particularly useful during the Covid-19 pandemic. Numerous peer-reviewed studies have affirmed that mRNA vaccines developed under Operation Warp Speed during the first Trump administration were highly effective at preventing severe disease and consistently demonstrated exceptional safety records.
In May, HHS terminated a $590 million contract with Moderna to develop a bird flu vaccine, marking another shift in the department’s focus away from mRNA projects. The Trump administration and Kennedy, who has a history of anti-vaccine claims, had previously signaled their intention to evaluate mRNA projects.
Pediatrician Dr. Peter Hotez, director of the Center for Vaccine Development at Texas Children’s Hospital, expressed concern that the HHS announcement may prioritize unsubstantiated views and weaken the nation’s biosecurity. “The mRNA technology has distinct advantages in a pandemic situation or for cancer vaccines and immunotherapeutics,” he said.
HHS is canceling its award to Moderna/UTMB for an H5N1 (avian flu) mRNA vaccine, as well as contracts with Emory University and Tiba Biotech. Additionally, the department plans to de-scope mRNA-related work in contracts it has with Luminary Labs, ModeX, and Sequirus.
HHS also announced the rejection or cancellation of multiple pre-award solicitations with proposals from Pfizer, Sanofi Pasteur, CSL Sequirus, Gritstone, and others. Collaborations with the US Department of Defense that impact nucleic acid-based vaccine projects with AAHI, AstraZeneca, and HDT Bio will also be restructured.
The impacted projects are estimated to be worth around $500 million. However, other uses of mRNA technology within the department are not affected by this announcement, according to HHS.
In a statement, Moderna spokesman Kelly Cunningham clarified that the company is unaware of any new contract cancellations by BARDA involving Moderna. Pfizer, Sanofi Pasteur, CSL Sequirus, Gritstone, AstraZeneca, and other companies contacted by CNN did not respond to requests for comment on the matter.
Critics argue that the HHS decision contradicts scientific data and jeopardizes future research into mRNA vaccines, which have proven essential in protecting billions of people from severe disease and death during the Covid-19 pandemic. Dr. Paul Offit, a vaccine scientist at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and an outside vaccine adviser to the FDA, expressed concern about the decision’s potential impact on public health.
“The mRNA vaccines are remarkably safe and effective,” he said. “It’s just wrong to make policy decisions that contradict scientific data.”
Dr. Jake Scott, an infectious diseases doctor in California who treated patients during the Covid-19 pandemic, emphasized the profound difference mRNA technology made in hospitals before and after vaccine availability. “Hearing that HHS plans to eliminate investment in mRNA vaccines is really depressing,” he said.
“This just hits differently. It makes me sad. It’s kind of heartbreaking.” Scott’s sentiments echo the concerns of many in the medical community who fear a potential setback in the fight against future pandemics without continued research into mRNA vaccine technology.