On August 5, 2025, Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. announced that the Trump administration is cancelling nearly $500 million in funding earmarked for the development of mRNA vaccines. The Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), the federal agency responsible for overseeing the U.S. defense against public health emergencies such as biological attacks and pandemics, is canceling 22 mRNA vaccine development projects.
In the announcement, Kennedy falsely claimed that COVID-19 vaccines are unsafe and ineffective, and that they cause the virus to evolve more rapidly. He also falsely stated that “mRNA technology poses more risk than benefits against these respiratory viruses,” and that HHS would instead invest in an alternative technology believed to produce what he called “natural immunity.”
Public health experts strongly disagreed with the decision and Kennedy’s statements. Dr. Peter Hotez, dean of Baylor College of Medicine’s National School of Tropical Medicine and co-director of the Texas Children’s Hospital Center for Vaccine Development, said of Kennedy: “His science is backwards, as it often is. This is a proven technology for emerging respiratory viruses or respiratory virus pandemics. It is extremely safe and has been incredibly effective.”
Updates:
Reversed (Partially or Fully)
The Department of Defense (DOD) is continuing to fund mRNA research, particularly research into vaccines against deadly pathogens. DOD has also stepped in to provide support to some companies impacted by the HHS cuts, allowing research and clinical trials to proceed, while funding for other projects remains uncertain.