RFK Jr. Shuts Down $500M In mRNA Vaccine Research: ‘More Risks Than Benefits’
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. delivered a decisive blow to the mRNA vaccine industry on Tuesday, announcing the cancellation of 22 federally funded mRNA development contracts totaling roughly $500 million. The decision marks a major policy reversal from the COVID-era vaccine strategy and underscores RFK Jr.’s ongoing commitment to science-based, safety-first health policy under President Donald Trump’s administration.
“After reviewing the science, and consulting top experts at NIH and FDA, HHS has determined that mRNA technology poses more risks than benefits for these respiratory viruses,” Kennedy declared in a video posted to X.
The move comes after a thorough review of the mRNA platform’s effectiveness and safety, particularly in the wake of widespread failures during the COVID-19 pandemic. Kennedy cited key concerns with the technology, including its reliance on a single antigen that becomes ineffective as soon as the virus mutates — a dynamic that, according to Kennedy, contributes to antigenic shift, the process by which viruses evolve to escape immune protection.
“A single mutation can make mRNA vaccines ineffective,” Kennedy said, highlighting the rapid obsolescence of COVID shots that left millions vulnerable to variants like Omicron despite being fully vaccinated.
“These vaccines only code for a small part of the viral protein, and that narrow targeting is a major flaw. One mutation and the vaccine no longer works. Worse yet, it encourages the virus to evolve faster.”
HHS’s Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), which manages much of the department’s pandemic preparedness portfolio, confirmed the decision in a press release. BARDA emphasized that the 22 canceled mRNA vaccine investments had failed to meet updated scientific and ethical standards for efficacy, transparency, and safety.
“Technologies that were funded during the emergency phase but failed to meet current scientific standards will be phased out,” the release states, noting that future vaccine research will prioritize “whole-virus vaccines and novel platforms with stronger safety records.”
Kennedy clarified that HHS is not abandoning vaccines altogether — far from it. “Let me be absolutely clear,” he said. “HHS supports safe, effective vaccines for every American who wants them. That’s why we’re moving beyond the limitations of mRNA for respiratory viruses and investing in better solutions.”
The department’s pivot reflects mounting concerns that the mRNA technology, once hailed as revolutionary, has not lived up to its promise. Despite record federal investment during the pandemic, the shots failed to provide lasting protection and often fell short of preventing transmission — raising questions about both their utility and the honesty of their promotion.
Critics of the pharmaceutical industry have long accused mRNA manufacturers of using emergency declarations and federal mandates to rush products to market without sufficient testing. Now, under Kennedy’s leadership, the federal government is pulling the plug on what he calls “a failed experiment.”
The decision is expected to ignite fierce backlash from pharmaceutical lobbyists, media outlets that championed the vaccines, and public health bureaucrats who oversaw their rollout. But for many Americans, the move signals a long-overdue return to common sense, accountability, and real science.
President Trump, who appointed RFK Jr. as HHS Secretary in January, has repeatedly said his administration would pursue a “total re-evaluation” of pandemic-era policies, including vaccines and mandates. With this latest move, Kennedy has delivered on that promise — pulling federal dollars out of risky vaccine platforms and steering the nation’s health strategy back toward safety, transparency, and long-term effectiveness.
The war over mRNA technology isn’t over, but this is a major turning point. For the millions of Americans who felt coerced, ignored, or misled during the pandemic, the Trump-Kennedy health agenda may be the course correction they’ve been waiting for.
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