RFK Jr cancels $500 million in mRNA research, HHS to prioritize 'safer' vaccine alternatives

A total of 22 mRNA vaccine development contracts totaling roughly $500 million have been canceled, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced Tuesday.

The mRNA investments were part of the government's Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), a division of HHS that drives some of the country's most advanced scientific research, such as the development of vaccines, drugs and other tools to fight national health threats. The termination of the 22 BARDA contracts follows a several-weeks-long internal review to determine a path forward when it comes to these investments.

"We reviewed the science, listened to the experts, and acted," HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said Tuesday. "BARDA is terminating 22 mRNA vaccine development investments because the data show these vaccines fail to protect effectively against upper respiratory inf...