HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr says mRNA vaccines fail to guard successfully towards higher respiratory infections like COVID and flu.
RT’s Three Key Takeaways:
- HHS Ends mRNA Vaccine Initiatives: The Division of Well being and Human Providers is terminating or scaling again 22 BARDA mRNA vaccine initiatives value practically $500 million after a evaluate discovered they supplied restricted safety towards higher respiratory infections like COVID-19 and flu.
- Huge Contract Affect: The wind-down contains ending contracts with Emory College and Tiba Biotech, de-scoping work with companions equivalent to ModeX and Seqirus, cancelling proposals from main pharmaceutical corporations, and restructuring Division of Protection collaborations.
- Shift to Different Vaccine Platforms: BARDA will halt all new mRNA investments and redirect funding towards different vaccine applied sciences.
The US Division of Well being and Human Providers (HHS) started a coordinated “wind-down” of its mRNA vaccine improvement actions below the Biomedical Superior Analysis and Growth Authority (BARDA), in keeping with an company information launch.
mRNA vaccines have been closely utilized in the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, together with Pfizer’s Comirnaty and Moderna’s Spikevax.
In keeping with the company, HHS is cancelling and descoping numerous contracts and solicitations, together with terminating federal contracts with vaccine analysis teams and builders.
HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr stated that the choice follows a evaluate of mRNA-related investments initiated in the course of the COVID-19 public well being emergency.
“We reviewed the science, listened to the specialists, and acted,” stated HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. “BARDA is terminating 22 mRNA vaccine improvement investments as a result of the information present these vaccines fail to guard successfully towards higher respiratory infections like COVID and flu. We’re shifting that funding towards safer, broader vaccine platforms that stay efficient at the same time as viruses mutate.”
The wind-down impacts a variety of packages together with:
- Termination of contracts with Emory College and Tiba Biotech.
- De-scoping of mRNA-related work in current contracts with Luminary Labs, ModeX, and Seqirus.
- Rejection or cancellation of a number of pre-award solicitations, together with proposals from Pfizer, Sanofi Pasteur, CSL Seqirus, Gritstone, and others, as a part of BARDA’s Speedy Response Partnership Automobile (RRPV) and VITAL Hub.
- Restructuring of collaborations with DoD-JPEO, affecting nucleic acid-based vaccine initiatives with AAHI, AstraZeneca, HDT Bio, and Moderna/UTMB.
Whereas some final-stage contracts (e.g., Arcturus and Amplitude) might be allowed to run their course to protect prior taxpayer funding, no new mRNA-based initiatives might be initiated. HHS has additionally instructed its companion, International Well being Funding Company (GHIC), which manages BARDA Ventures, to stop all mRNA-based fairness investments. In whole, this impacts 22 initiatives value practically $500 million. Different makes use of of mRNA know-how throughout the division are usually not impacted by this announcement.
“Let me be completely clear: HHS helps protected, efficient vaccines for each American who desires them. That’s why we’re shifting past the constraints of mRNA and investing in higher options,” stated Secretary Kennedy.
The transfer alerts a broader shift in federal vaccine improvement priorities. Going ahead, BARDA will give attention to platforms with stronger security information and clear medical and manufacturing information practices. Applied sciences that have been funded in the course of the emergency section however failed to fulfill present scientific requirements might be phased out in favor of evidence-based, ethically grounded options – like whole-virus vaccines and novel platforms.
The transfer was criticized by a number of public well being specialists.
“This can be probably the most harmful public well being judgment that I’ve seen in my 50 years on this enterprise,” Univ of Minnesota CIDRAP director Michael Osterholm instructed NPR. “It’s baseless, and we can pay an amazing worth when it comes to sicknesses and deaths. I’m extraordinarily frightened about it.”
