Health experts are pushing back against HHS' decision to cut nearly $500 million in mRNA R&D funding.
Stock.adobe.com

The future of mRNA vaccines is on shaky ground.

Industry experts are sounding off on a recent announcement that FDA will wind-down mRNA funding for development and research. Earlier this week, Secretary Robert F. Kennedy announced the decision, along with the revelation that the agency is cancelling a significant number of projects and contracts worth a total worth of nearly $500 million.

Why did HHS cancel funding for mRNA R&D?

In a statement, Kennedy said, “We reviewed the science, listened to the experts, and acted. BARDA is terminating 22 mRNA vaccine development investments because the data show these vaccines fail to protect effectively against upper respiratory infections like COVID and flu. We’re shifting that funding toward safer, broader vaccine platforms that remain effective even as viruses mutate.”

The statement continued, “Let me be absolutely clear: HHS supports safe, effective vaccines for every American who wants them. That’s why we’re moving beyond the limitations of mRNA and investing in better solutions.”

According to a new report, health experts are publicly pushing back against Kennedy’s claims about mRNA vaccines and the decision to wind-down investments in the vaccines.

Cynthia Leifer, a professor of immunology at Cornell University, told CNN Health,¹ “I wonder why we want to try and go back to the way it was in the 1940s when we had vaccines, but it took a really long time to make them.” She continued to explain that abandoning mRNA research at this point is like abandoning a kitchen remodel after the walls have been demolished.

Dr. Michael Osterholm, an epidemiologist from the University of Minnesota, told the outlet that he considered the decision to be one of the worst public health decisions in decades.

In May, Pfizer CEO Dr. Albert Bourla defended previous comments HHS officials made about mRNA vaccines.² At the time, he called mRNA vaccines the most utilized vaccines in human history. He cited the 1.5 billion doses of mRNA-based COVID vaccines that have been administered by Pfizer.

The comments came in response to HHS canceling $590 million in funding to Moderna for mRNA research and development. At the time, HHS said, “We concluded that continued investment in Moderna’s H5N1 mRNA vaccine was not scientifically or ethically justifiable. The reality is that mRNA technology remains under-tested, and we are not going to spend taxpayer dollars repeating the mistakes of the last administration, which concealed legitimate safety concerns from the public.”

Most recently, experts have pushed back against Kennedy’s claims that mRNA vaccines promote virus mutation. One of the reasons Kennedy cited for cancelling the current round of funding was so that the money could be invested in treatments that wouldn’t lose efficacy as viruses mutate.

The most recent announcement from HHS explains that the following steps will be taken against mRNA vaccine funding:

• The termination of contracts with Emory University and Tiba Biotech
• De-scoping of mRNA-related work, which will impact existing contracts with Luminary Labs, ModeX, and Seqirus
• The cancellation or rejection of multiple pre-award solicitations
• A restructuring of collaborations with DoD-JPEO, which will impact companies like AstraZeneca and Moderna.

Not all contracts will be cancelled, however. Some later stage contracts will be allowed to be completed under the current leadership at HHS.

Sources

1. Cutting federal funds for mRNA vaccine leaves the US vulnerable, experts say. CNN. August 8, 2025. https://www.cnn.com/2025/08/08/health/mrna-vaccines-pandemic-preparedness
2. Pfizer CEO: HHS claims of ‘concealed safety concerns’ on mRNA vaccines are ‘completely inaccurate.’ CNN. May 30, 2025. Accessed August 8, 2025. https://www.cnn.com/2025/05/30/health/pfizer-bourla-vaccines