Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced that the department is terminating 22 mRNA vaccine development contracts.
The terminations affect activities through the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA).
“One mutation, and the vaccine becomes ineffective. This dynamic drives a phenomenon called antigenic 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.
He explained that the process explains why millions of vaccinated individuals caught the Omicron variant. “A single mutation can make mRNA vaccines ineffective,” Kennedy said, noting the “same risk applies to flu.”
“After reviewing the science, and consulting top experts at NIH and FDA, HHS has determined that mRNA technology poses more risks than benefits for these respiratory viruses,” he added.
The contract terminations total nearly $500 million. HHS will now prioritize the development of “safer, broader vaccine strategies,” Kennedy said, such as “whole-virus vaccines” and “novel platforms that don’t collapse when viruses mutate.”
HHS explained that while some final-stage contracts will be permitted to run their course, no new mRNA projects will be launched. Moving forward, BARDA will “focus on platforms with stronger safety records and transparent clinical and manufacturing data practices,” the department said.
In recent weeks, Kennedy has taken action to remove the vaccine preservative thimerosal from flu inoculations, per a recommendation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP).
Similarly, Kennedy celebrated the move to pull the COVID-19 vaccine for healthy children and pregnant women, explaining there was a lack of any clinical data to “support the repeat booster strategy in children.”
