by Worthy News Washington D.C. Bureau Staff
(Worthy News) – In a sweeping move that marks a major shift in U.S. vaccine policy, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced Tuesday it has canceled 22 contracts worth nearly $500 million related to mRNA vaccine development. The decision follows a weeks-long internal review by HHS’s Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA).
HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. explained that the cancellations stem from scientific data showing mRNA vaccines are not sufficiently effective against upper respiratory infections like COVID-19 and the flu. The review also raised concerns about the vaccines’ inability to cope with viral mutations.
“We reviewed the science, listened to the experts, and acted,” said Kennedy in a video statement. “BARDA is terminating 22 mRNA vaccine development investments because the data show these vaccines fail to protect effectively against upper respiratory infections. We’re shifting that funding toward safer, broader vaccine platforms that remain effective even as viruses mutate.”
Among the terminated awards is over $750 million in funding previously allocated to Moderna for developing mRNA-based bird flu vaccines. Other affected entities include Emory University, Tiba Biotech, Luminary Labs, ModeX, and Seqirus. Several pre-award proposals from major pharmaceutical firms, including Pfizer and Sanofi Pasteur, were also rejected under the move.
Kennedy cited the emergence of variants like Omicron–which infected millions, including the vaccinated–as evidence of mRNA’s shortcomings. “A single mutation can make mRNA vaccines ineffective,” he said, warning that these technologies may even fuel viral evolution through a phenomenon known as “antigenic shift.”
While final-stage mRNA contracts with companies like Arcturus and Amplitude will be allowed to run their course to protect prior taxpayer investments, no new BARDA mRNA projects will be initiated. HHS also instructed its investment partner, Global Health Investment Corporation (GHIC), to halt all mRNA-related equity investments.
Despite the decision, mRNA research at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) will continue unaffected.
The HHS Secretary emphasized that the department still supports vaccines, but is now pivoting toward alternatives with stronger safety records and efficacy, such as whole-virus vaccines and next-generation platforms that remain stable even as viruses mutate.
“Let me be absolutely clear,” Kennedy stated, “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.”
The announcement signals a broader reorientation of federal vaccine policy, moving away from emergency-era technologies that failed to meet long-term scientific standards in favor of more robust, transparent, and ethically grounded vaccine development.
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
More Worthy News
A sword-wielding man from the U.S. state of Massachusetts has been arrested for allegedly making threats to kill President Donald J. Trump and “hang him” from the Statue of Liberty in New York.
Four astronauts are on their way to the Moon after the U.S. space agency NASA launched the Artemis II mission, marking the first crewed lunar flight in more than five decades.
The United Arab Emirates is preparing to assist the United States and allied nations in reopening the Strait of Hormuz by force, marking a significant strategic shift that could make it the first Persian Gulf state to formally enter the conflict against Iran, according to the Wall Street Journal.
An American freelance journalist has been kidnapped in Iraq’s capital Baghdad, with authorities confirming the arrest of a suspect linked to an Iran-aligned militia, Iraqi and U.S. officials said.
Ties between the government of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and Moscow appear to be closer than previously thought after leaked recordings suggested direct coordination over European Union sanctions against Russia.
At least 30 people were killed in a brutal Palm Sunday attack in Ungwan Rukuba, a community in Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau state, Nigeria, marking yet another deadly incident during one of Christianity’s holiest seasons, according to International Christian Concern.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday that Israel, in close coordination with the United States, has significantly weakened Iran’s military capabilities as the regional conflict entered its fifth week.