The US Department of Health and Human Services is cancelling contracts and withdrawing funding from certain vaccine development efforts targeting respiratory illnesses such as Covid-19 and influenza, reports Breaking News.
Robert F Kennedy Jr has revealed that 22 mRNA-based vaccine initiatives, with a combined value of $500 million (€433m), will be discontinued.
This move by Mr Kennedy marks another step in a series of actions that reflect his longstanding scepticism toward vaccines, now actively shaping policy at the nation’s health agency, reports Breaking News.
He has scaled back official guidance on Covid-19 vaccinations, dismissed the advisory panel responsible for vaccine recommendations, and has not offered strong support for vaccines despite a growing measles outbreak.
In a video posted to his social media, the health secretary criticised mRNA vaccines and explained the rationale behind ending projects being developed by leading pharmaceutical firms like Pfizer and Moderna, which aim to provide protection against Covid-19, influenza, and H5N1, reports Breaking News.
“To replace the troubled mRNA programs, we’re prioritising the development of safer, broader vaccine strategies, like whole-virus vaccines and novel platforms that don’t collapse when viruses mutate,” Mr Kennedy said in the video, reports Breaking News.
Public health experts argue that mRNA vaccine technology is safe and credit its development during the first Trump administration with helping curb the spread of Covid-19 in 2020. They warn that mRNA will be essential in countering future pandemics.
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“I don’t think I’ve seen a more dangerous decision in public health in my 50 years in the business,” said Mike Osterholm, a specialist in infectious diseases and pandemic response at the University of Minnesota,” reports Breaking News.
He explained that mRNA offers significant advantages, especially its speed of production, which is crucial in responding to emerging pandemic threats.
Dr Paul Offit, a vaccine specialist at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, called the termination of the mRNA programmes short-sighted amid growing concerns over a potential bird flu outbreak, reports Breaking News.
“It’s certainly saved millions of lives,” Mr Offit said, referring to current mRNA vaccines, reports Breaking News.
Researchers are investigating the broader application of mRNA beyond infectious diseases, including its potential in cancer treatments. Earlier this year at the White House, tech billionaire Larry Ellison spoke highly of mRNA’s promise in treating cancer.
Traditional vaccine methods involve cultivating virus components in chicken eggs or large cell vats, followed by purification, reports Breaking News.
The mRNA technique instead relies on a small piece of genetic code that instructs cells to produce proteins. Scientists choose a specific protein, inject its genetic instructions, and the body then produces a small amount — enough to stimulate an immune response and offer protection.
The health department stated on Tuesday that “other uses of mRNA technology within the department are not impacted by this announcement”, reports Breaking News.
mRNA has already been approved for use in Covid-19 and RSV vaccines, although it has not yet received approval for influenza vaccines.
Moderna, which had been researching a combined Covid-19 and flu vaccine using mRNA, said the technology had the potential to speed up flu shot production compared to traditional methods, reports Breaking News.
The discontinued mRNA programmes represent a “shift in vaccine development priorities,” according to the health department, which added that it now plans to “invest in better solutions”.
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