Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced Tuesday that 22 mRNA vaccine-development contracts have been canceled.
The total amount of the research grants totals roughly $500 million, according to a report at Fox News.
The mRNA contracts were part of the government’s Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), a division of HHS responsible for the development of vaccines, drugs and other tools to fight national health threats. The termination of the 22 contracts follows a several-weeks-long internal review.
“We reviewed the science, listened to the experts, and acted,” Kennedy said. “BARDA is terminating 22 mRNA vaccine development investments because the data show these vaccines fail to protect effectively against upper respiratory infections like COVID and flu. We’re shifting that funding toward safer, broader vaccine platforms that remain effective even as viruses mutate.”
In a short video explaining the move, Kennedy said the benefits simply do not outweigh the risks associated with mRNA vaccines.
The mRNA technology was hailed as part of the quickly developed COVID-19 vaccine in 2020, yet it proved to be neither “safe” nor “effective” in warding off the virus.
“This dynamic drives a phenomena called anogenic shift, meaning that the vaccine paradoxically encourages new mutations and can actually prolong pandemics as the virus constantly mutates to escape the protective effects of the vaccine,” Kennedy said in the video.
For example, the secretary pointed to the Omicron variant of the COVID-19 virus, which infected many millions, including those who had been vaccinated against COVID.
“A single mutation can make mRNA vaccines ineffective,” Kennedy added, noting that the same risks also apply to the flu virus.