U.S. Health Department Cuts $500 Million in Vaccine Development

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will cancel contracts and withdraw funding for certain vaccines under development to combat respiratory viruses such as COVID-19 and influenza.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Health Secretary and a longtime critic of vaccines, announced Tuesday in a statement that vaccine development projects worth 500 million dollars will be halted, all of which use mRNA technology.

The 22 projects are led by some of the country’s top pharmaceutical companies, including Pfizer and Moderna, and aim to prevent infections from influenza, COVID-19, and H5N1.

mRNA vaccines are credited with helping to slow the 2020 coronavirus pandemic.

In Tuesday’s statement, Kennedy said he wants the health department to move away from mRNA vaccines, urging it to begin “investing in better solutions.” He did not provide details on what those technologies might be.