The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) plans to cancel $500 million (£376 million) of funding to develop mRNA vaccines to fight the flu and Covid-19 viruses.
The move will affect 22 projects led by major pharmaceutical companies, including Pfizer and ModernA, to target bird flu and other viruses, HHS said.
Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr, a vaccine skeptic, announced he is getting funding for “mRNA technology poses greater risks than these respiratory viruses.”
Doctors and health experts criticized Kennedy for his long view on the safety and effectiveness of vaccines and their health policies.
Peter Lurie, a former U.S. Food and Drug Administration official, said the development of mRNA vaccines targeting Covid-19 is crucial to help slow the pandemic and save millions of lives.
He told the BBC that the change is “one of the most promising tools for the United States to refuse to fight the next pandemic”.
Kennedy said in a statement that his team “reviewed science, listened to experts, and took action.” “[T]His data suggests that these vaccines are not effective in protecting upper respiratory tract infections such as Covid and Flu. ” he said.
He said the department is transferring funds to “safer, broader vaccine platforms that remain effective even with mutations in the virus.”
Kennedy also claimed that mRNA vaccines could help “encourage new mutations, and that as the virus continues to mutate to evade the vaccine’s protective effects, it can actually prolong the pandemic.”
Health experts say the virus will mutate regardless of whether the vaccine exists or not.
Dr. Paul Offit, director of the Center for Vaccine Education at Children’s Hospital in Philadelphia, noted that although most people receive mRNA vaccination, the flu virus will mutate regardless of whether people receive the vaccine or not.
He said the mRNA vaccine is “very safe” and is key to helping prevent severe infection of the Covid-19 virus.
HHS said the department running the vaccine program, the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Bureau (Barda), will focus on “a platform with stronger safety records and transparent clinical and manufacturing data practices.”
While some vaccines use inactivated viruses to trigger an immune response, mRNA vaccines trigger an immune response by teaching cells how to make proteins. Hyundai and Pfizer’s mRNA vaccines were tested on thousands of people before being launched and found to be safe and effective.
Dr. Offit, who invented the rotavirus vaccine, said the cancellation of funds could put the U.S. in a “more dangerous” position to deal with any potential pandemic in the future. He noted that mRNA vaccines have shorter development cycles, which is why they are crucial to coping with the COVID-19 pandemic.
Since taking office, Kennedy has taken many steps to change how the U.S. health department develops and regulates vaccines.
In June, he fired all 17 members of the committee, which made official recommendations on immunization and replaced them with some people who criticized the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine.
He also removed the COVID-19 vaccine from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s recommended immunization program for healthy children and pregnant women.
Health & Wellness Contributor
A wellness enthusiast and certified nutrition advisor, Meera covers everything from healthy living tips to medical breakthroughs. Her articles aim to inform and inspire readers to live better every day.
