RFK Jr. Cancels $500M in mRNA Vaccine Projects Over Safety Concerns

• Aug 06, 2025

The U.S. government is canceling $500 million worth of vaccine development projects that use mRNA technology, Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced on Tuesday. The decision affects 22 projects, most of which were aimed at developing vaccines for COVID-19 and seasonal flu.

The projects were funded through the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), with proposals from major pharmaceutical companies like Pfizer, Sanofi Pasteur, and Moderna among those either rejected or withdrawn. One of the most notable cancellations was a contract with Moderna to create a bird flu vaccine, which was officially terminated in May.

According to Kennedy, the cancellations come after a review of the projects over the past few weeks. He said the decision marks a shift away from mRNA vaccine research due to concerns about its effectiveness and reliability. mRNA vaccines, which rose to prominence during the COVID-19 pandemic, work by using messenger RNA to instruct the body to produce proteins that trigger an immune response.

Kennedy argued that the technology carries more risks than benefits, particularly for respiratory viruses like COVID-19 and influenza. He claimed that mutations in these viruses can quickly make mRNA vaccines less effective. “A single mutation can make mRNA vaccines ineffective,” he stated.

However, the decision has sparked sharp criticism from public health experts. Dr. Paul Offit, a virologist at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, said the move was not based on scientific evidence and could endanger public health. Epidemiologist Dr. Michael Osterholm called it "one of the worst decisions" he’s seen in five decades of working in public health. He emphasized that traditional flu vaccine production methods are too slow in the face of a pandemic and that mRNA technology offers the speed and flexibility needed to respond quickly.

Supporters of mRNA vaccines point to their success during the pandemic. The Trump administration had invested heavily in the development of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, which were created faster than any previous vaccines in U.S. history. Dr. Luciana Borio, a former medical preparedness official at the National Security Council, said abandoning mRNA research in favor of older methods is a serious error.

Despite his stance, Kennedy said HHS still supports vaccines that are “safe and effective” and plans to redirect the canceled funding to broader vaccine platforms that remain useful even as viruses mutate. Critics remain concerned this decision could undermine progress made in modern vaccine development.