US cancels mRNA vaccine contracts worth $500 million

New York: The US government has decided to halt the funding of 22 projects focused on the development and manufacturing of mRNA-based vaccines that help fight respiratory diseases like COVID-19 and the flu.

The decision, announced by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., stemmed from his personal and unproven theories about the efficacy of vaccines and marks the latest attempt in a string of efforts that weave vaccine distrust into US health policy.

"We reviewed the science, listened to the experts, and acted," Kennedy said in a statement.

The health department's Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (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," he added.

In total, the halted projects are worth "nearly $500 million," the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) said.

In a video that he posted on social media, Kennedy criticized mRNA vaccines, explaining the decision to cancel projects being led by the nation's leading pharmaceutical companies, including Pfizer and Moderna, that offer protection against viruses like the flu, COVID-19 and H5N1.

"To replace the troubled mRNA programs, we're prioritizing the development of safer, broader vaccine strategies, like whole-virus vaccines and novel platforms that don't collapse when viruses mutate," Kennedy said in the video.

"Let me be absolutely clear: HHS supports safe, effective vaccines for every American who wants them," he stressed.

The mRNA technology is currently being used for more than infectious disease vaccines, with researchers around the world exploring its use for cancer immunotherapies. 

In a statement Tuesday, HHS said "other uses of mRNA technology within the department are not impacted by this announcement."

Kennedy has been a longtime vaccine critic. Since his appointment as health secretary, he has overseen the remodeling of US health policy.

Kennedy has pulled back recommendations around the COVID-19 shots, fired the panel that makes vaccine recommendations, and refused to offer a vigorous endorsement of vaccinations as a measles outbreak worsened.

He has also ordered a sweeping new study on the long-debunked link between vaccines and autism.