Kennedy: “HHS has determined that mRNA technology poses more risk than benefits” in humans for respiratory viruses.

by

Kennedy shut down $500 million in mRNA vaccine contracts. “HHS has determined that mRNA technology poses more risk than benefits for these respiratory viruses,” he said Tuesday. The decision followed a multi-week review of 22 BARDA-funded projects targeting COVID and flu. https://www.politico.com/news/2025/08/05/hhs-plans-to-terminate-22-mrna-vaccine-projects-00494922

The call is overdue. mRNA vaccines break under mutation pressure. They don’t stop transmission. They’re fast to build but weak in the field. Kennedy didn’t punt. He cut.

The contracts are gone. Moderna, Pfizer, Sanofi, CSL Seqirus, Emory, and Tiba Biotech all lost funding. NIH research stays untouched.

Kennedy is moving funds to whole-virus platforms. Final-stage contracts will finish. No new mRNA projects will be funded. BARDA’s equity stakes are being wound down.

Pushback came fast. Rick Bright says the cuts “cripple our front-line defense.” Paul Offit calls it “a giant step backward.” Osterholm says it’s “reckless.” These are the same voices that backed rushed approvals and skipped long-term trials.

Kennedy reviewed the data. He made the call. NIH and FDA were consulted. The risks were laid out. The platform didn’t hold up.

The U.S. isn’t scaling back innovation. It’s cutting dead weight.