The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has decided to terminate contracts and withdraw funding from various vaccine development projects aimed at combating respiratory viruses such as COVID-19 and influenza. This decision, announced by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Tuesday, will halt 22 projects utilizing mRNA technology, amounting to $500 million US.
Kennedy’s actions reflect a pattern where his anti-vaccine stance has influenced decisions within the health department, including the cancellation of COVID-19 vaccination recommendations, the dismissal of vaccine recommendation panels, and a lack of robust support for vaccinations during a measles outbreak.
The health secretary, in a social media video, criticized mRNA vaccines and explained that projects led by major pharmaceutical companies like Pfizer and Moderna, offering protection against viruses such as the flu, COVID-19, and H5N1, will be discontinued. Kennedy emphasized a shift towards developing safer and broader vaccine strategies, like whole-virus vaccines and novel platforms resistant to virus mutations.
Infectious disease experts argue that mRNA technology in vaccines is safe and was instrumental in curbing the 2020 coronavirus pandemic. They caution that future pandemics may be more challenging to control without mRNA technology.
Notably, the decision to abandon mRNA projects has drawn criticism from experts like Mike Osterholm, who highlighted the technology’s potential for rapid vaccine production during new pandemics. Dr. Paul Offit expressed concerns over the shelving of mRNA projects, noting their role in saving lives and their broader applications beyond infectious diseases, such as cancer immunotherapies.
The Health and Human Services Department stated that other uses of mRNA technology within the department remain unaffected by the decision. They indicated a shift in vaccine development priorities and a commitment to investing in alternative solutions, without specifying details on these technologies.