This month, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced that it would begin its “coordinated wind-down” of mRNA vaccine development under the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA). According to Secretary Kennedy, the revocation of nearly $500 million in research funding comes after careful scientific review and a lack of safety guardrails. Top virologists disagree; they assert the safety of mRNA technology and worry the funding slash will only slow innovation. HHS and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) will now pivot to researching whole-virus inactivated vaccines.   

The technology behind mRNA vaccine development allows the nation to respond quickly to new diseases, like COVID-19, and could help eradicate old ones. At Columbia University in New York, researchers are exploring a sort of “universal antiviral,” one that could build on our bodies’ natural defenses. Just this week at the University of Florida, a breakthrough mRNA cancer vaccine sparks hope of a treatment that could fight multiple cancers by revving up the immune system.  

Despite scientific evidence consistently demonstrating the safety and efficacy of mRNA vaccine development, the polarizing nature of the COVID-19 vaccine conversation deepened public distrust. Current Director of the NIH Dr. Jay Bhattacharya affirms that “the mRNA platform is promising technology” and doesn’t dispute its potential but says the platform “failed a crucial test: earning public trust.”  

Now, HHS will end at least 22 of BARDA’s vaccine development projects. Dr. Rick Bright virologist and former BARDA Director, fears this choice weakens the United States’ ability to withstand pathogens like Nipha, Lassa and Chikungunya.