HHS Cuts $500 Million in Funding, Ending 22 mRNA Vaccine Research Projects
Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. simply announces the vaccines must be proven to be safe and effective, per traditional tests. Of course, the mainstream press and their cadre of “experts” rage against the decision.
A few days ago, Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced the termination of nearly $500 million in federal funding for mRNA vaccine development projects.
This move canceled 22 contracts and awards with companies and universities, affecting ongoing and planned research into mRNA vaccines for diseases that include COVID and influenza. It also ended mRNA project expansions into new fields like cancer and HIV.
The 22 now-terminated projects were funded through the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, or BARDA. Most of the projects that were canceled were for vaccines that fight COVID-19 or the flu, Kennedy said.
They include proposals from Pfizer, Sanofi Pasteur and other drugmakers that were rejected or canceled, along with a now-shuttered award to Moderna to develop a bird flu vaccine, according to an HHS statement. The projects were reviewed and canceled over the last few weeks, said Kennedy.
A Moderna spokesperson told CBS News that the company’s H5N1 (bird flu) contract was canceled in May, and it isn’t aware of any new BARDA cancellations.
Kennedy framed the move as part of a step away from research into mRNA vaccines. Those types of vaccines use messenger RNA, or mRNA, to prompt the body to make proteins that induce antibody production to protect against an infection.
If these mRNA products are so promising, then the pharmaceutical firms can indeed find private investors. Kennedy vowed to stop the government-pharmaceutical complex, and he has always ensured that vaccines would only be approved if they were safe and effective.
We reviewed the science, listened to the experts, and acted. 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… pic.twitter.com/GPKbuU7ywN
— Secretary Kennedy (@SecKennedy) August 5, 2025
Recall that the COVID-19 vaccines were initially approved under emergency use authorizations. HHS is now insisting these vaccines pass more traditional tests before approval and funding.
“Let me be absolutely clear: HHS supports safe, effective vaccines for every American who wants them. That’s why we’re moving beyond the limitations of mRNA and investing in better solutions,” said Secretary Kennedy.
The move signals a broader shift in federal vaccine development priorities. Going forward, BARDA will focus on platforms with stronger safety records and transparent clinical and manufacturing data practices. Technologies that were funded during the emergency phase but failed to meet current scientific standards will be phased out in favor of evidence-based, ethically grounded solutions – like whole-virus vaccines and novel platforms.
Sounds reasonable, right?
Not if you’re a MAGA-MAHA-hating “journalist” likely connected to Big Pharma dollars via advertising. The wailing and complaining in the media and their preferred “experts” is off-the-charts.
Take, for example, ABC News. Its reporters interviewed Dr. Peter Hotez, a vaccine scientist and professor at Baylor College of Medicine. Hotez was one of the biggest proponents of COVID-19 lockdowns and vaccines.
“The message to the companies will clearly be that they can no longer rely on the U.S. government for supporting any mRNA vaccine work, which is unfortunate, or even tragic, because the mRNA platform is one of the few that we have for pandemic threats in terms of something that we can make a vaccine for very quickly,” he said. “So what, what Mr. Kennedy’s and HHS’ actions are doing is weakening our pandemic preparedness and weakening our biosecurity.”
“Peter Hotez was telling everybody to get boosted before they go see Barbie”
Joe Rogan mocks Peter Hotez and the media for doubling down on the establishment COVID narrative. pic.twitter.com/jG4TH3nON9
— Mythinformed (@MythinformedMKE) August 6, 2023
The Washington Post decided to quote a Biden “winter of death” era official.
“This represents a significant setback for our preparedness efforts in responding to infectious-disease outbreaks,” said Dawn O’Connell, the former assistant secretary of preparedness and response at HHS during the Biden administration. If viruses change, mRNA can be quickly rebooted and manufactured.
The New York Times decided to talk to… an mRNA researcher and a San Francisco lawyer.
“This is a bad day for science,” said Scott Hensley, an immunologist at the University of Pennsylvania who has been working to develop an mRNA vaccine against influenza.
…“It’s going to deter innovations,” said Dorit Reiss, a professor at the University of California College of the Law at San Francisco, whose research focuses on vaccine law and policy. “Why invest in new technologies if the government can not only refuse to fund them, but if it’s going to cancel already promised contracts?”
I must admit, I regret getting the Pfizer vaccine. I have made the decision never to get another vaccine again, except for those already in use before 2000. I have completely lost trust in media-designated “experts”, especially in the fields with which I am familiar. I suspect many others feel the same.
When the real data is crunched, and we have a better understanding of all the consequences of the vaccine mandates, I suspect that evidence will show Secretary Kennedy made the right call. As a reminder, some of the evidence is beginning to trickle out.
🚨NEW STUDY — Mass mRNA Injection Campaigns Likely Fueling the Global Fertility Collapse
📉 Among ~1.3 million Czech women (ages 18–39), those vaccinated against COVID-19 had ~33% fewer successful pregnancies vs. unvaccinated.
📉 National fertility rate dropped 21% (2021–2023)… pic.twitter.com/kl5asVY1AR
— Nicolas Hulscher, MPH (@NicHulscher) May 1, 2025
The mRNA vaccines need to be treated like all the other ones. That is to say, it has been shown via a battery of tests to be both safe and effective. Until then, I remain skeptical of both the vaccine and the “experts”.
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Comments
Oh no! They cut a tiny fraction of the government budget! People will LITERALLY DIE!!!!! REEE REEEE REEEE!!!!
A former friend (his choice) is a retired research physicist with a specialty in lasers. He is running around like his hair is on fire over all the research grant cuts.
I asked him how much government money Edison got for his inventions and research. George W., Carver. Both Curies. Salk. Pasteur. Crick. Watson. Bell.
He started yes-but-ing. Of course.
Enjoying the braying of leftist arses notwithstanding, we will eventually rue the day we ever allowed this charlatan anywhere near the levers of power. He is not a good man – as is requisite in his family – and the outcomes he desires are not in our best interests.
Reading the first iteration of the MAHA report with its ai written text and non-existent research should have been warning enough.
To whom do you refer?
.
Kennedy, In fact he IS from a loathsome family, but – and I don’t read People or the tabloids – I am not aware of RFKJr being a womanizer, drunkard, or other marks of what mid 20th century was America’s royalty.
Sorry to say RFK had a history of drug abuse and a wife that committed suicide which may have been related to his philandering, The man seems to have cleaned up his act in recent years.
Cancelling 22 mRNA research projects
Probably paralleled 22 virus gain of function projects planned to be released on same timetable
Just a pedantic note: The covid-19 shot is not a vaccine. True vaccines provide vaccinated individuals with immunity for a very long time. The covid-19 shot provides immunity for a few months. It’s more like a flu-shot but doesn’t last anywhere near as long.
Not pedantic at all. People have an understanding of what a “Vaccine” is and when something is described as that, but is not, it is misleading at best, and potentially fraudulent.
From what I’ve seen the Wuhan Flu shot did not provide “immunity” at all for any period of time, despite initial assurances that it would. All it ever did was lessen the severity of symptoms.
It also did not prevent transmission, which is the primary feature of an actual vaccine that reduces the potential of outbreaks becoming epidemics.
The Wuhan Flu shot was never a vaccine and should never been referred to as such…and our “health leaders” at the time knew it full well from the jump.
Thanks.
From a clinical standpoint, the mRNA WuFlu vaccines were ineffective and had too many safety problems. Including the more traditional protein (non-mRNA) WuFlu vaccine(s), the first and second waves of WuFlu shots were overall a “we’ve got to do something” types of feel-good placebos. I honestly don’t think they worked, and as an infectious diseases doc, I can’t say that I ever recommended them because of their horrific safety profiles. I
Those initial mRNA based Covid shots and research grants were greased thru with less safety testing than normal because “it was an emergency”.
And valid scientific and statistical concerns about side effects and the news thereof were suppressed because “it was an emergency”.
That “emergency’s” use-by date has expired.
From other reportage….
“Apart from myocarditis, the more than 300-page report did not find major safety risks connected with the mRNA vaccines.”
Also….
“A few systemic autoimmune diseases, such as autoimmune hepatitis and nephropathies, have been identified as being potentially associated with mRNA vaccines”
Reminds me of the old joke…..
“So…, Mrs. Lincoln – aside from THAT, how was the play?”.
“nephropathies” Don’t you mean Nephrophades, the Greek god of kidney failure, with a sister god, Diabetes?
Being serious (who? me?), I have kidney issues and that could be old age, could be chemo I was on for a year. But, could be Pfizer.
its in the best interest of any company to put out the best product they can
and only when the government protects them from lawsuits etc does that open up the opportunity for the companies to slack off
“A few autoimmune diseases…” is an understatement of epic proportions. Now I am referring former mRNA KungFlu shot recipients for some of the weirdest cancers I have ever seen in clinical practice, and especially at a very, very early age. These things are just NOT diagnosed at their ages! I have no explanation other than something in those vaccines, though I can’t really say for sure it was that alone or the combination of the KungFlu AND having the shot(s).
those of us who know,,know,,that the intervention of the government only increases the costs etc ( not talking about reciprocal tariffs )
with the gop acceptance of government run healthcare..we are doomed
there is no bigger strain especially in a peace-time scenario than “free healthcare”
since we cant seem to find and/or elect free market thinkers to congress
these cuts to waste even become more important
again,,,, that is really the job of CONGRESS but even I have to laugh at that antiquated notion
so more un-elected people dictate to americans ( even if I like the particular dictate..its still wrong)
call out the $$$donors to the dems as to why they are giving directly to pols and not to the causes…like healthcare /homelessness //starvation etc..
call them out
as the gop why they arent exposing the dems for this
maybe fear that the dems will harp on gop donors!!???
I think it is perfect appropriate for the government to fund research, at universities. It is not appropriate for government to fund research at private companies that turn around and make huge amounts of profit. There is something very unseemly about that.
Not sure I agree. Sometimes companies are better position to make progress in certain research areas. I don’t have any problem with government funding or partnering with such research. It seems more appropriate to address the process of evaluating a product and deciding whether is is safe and effective than to just cut off funding. I don’t see how this cut helps the situation. Perhaps making thoughtful reforms at the FDA would require a lot of special attention, work and political capital and politicians prefer a quick action that satisfies passions of their constituents.
There are a multitude of problems with government investing in private companies. The biggest is those companies are usually politically connected. We see that all the time with green companies. Obama was the worst. He funded private companies efforts run by people who bundled campaign contributions to him. If not illegal it should be. Government should never be picking winners.