Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has announced the cancellation of 22 federal mRNA vaccine development contracts.
The decision is projected to save American taxpayers approximately $500 million.
Kennedy made the announcement during a public statement where he criticized mRNA vaccine technology for its role during the COVID-19 pandemic.
He said the vaccine platform was ineffective against upper respiratory viruses and may have contributed to prolonging the pandemic.
“mRNA only codes for a small part of the viral proteins, usually a single antigen. One mutation, and the vaccine becomes ineffective,” Kennedy stated.
He added that mRNA vaccines could encourage new virus mutations, increasing the longevity of outbreaks.
This claim is tied to evidence that vaccinated individuals still contracted COVID-19 variants like Omicron, despite high vaccine coverage.
Kennedy called the move a necessary correction after what he described as a “biomedical miscalculation” during the global health crisis.
“mRNA technology poses more risk than benefit for these respiratory viruses,” he said.
The Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), which oversees vaccine and therapeutic funding, will formally withdraw support from these 22 projects.
These contracts were part of a larger post-COVID initiative to rapidly develop mRNA-based vaccines for a range of diseases.
According to Kennedy, this wide application of the technology was based on flawed assumptions stemming from the pandemic response.