RFK Jr. Shuts Down $500M In mRNA Vaccine Research: ‘More Risks Than Benefits’

Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced on Tuesday that his department is canceling 22 mRNA vaccine development contracts, totaling about $500 million.

Kennedy said mRNA vaccines, including the most widely used COVID-19 immunizations, have been ineffective, so his department is instead shifting this funding toward “safer, broader vaccine platforms that remain effective even as viruses mutate.”

“After reviewing the science, and consulting top experts at [National Institutes of Health] and [Food and Drug Administration], HHS has determined that mRNA technology poses more risks than benefits for these respiratory viruses,” RFK said in a video posted to X.

Kennedy said that mRNA vaccines used during the pandemic “only code for a small part of the viral protein, usually a single antigen.”

“One mutation, and the vaccine becomes ineffective,” he said. “This dynamic drives a phenomenon called antigenic shift, meaning that the vaccine paradoxically encourages new mutations and can actually prolong pandemics as the virus constantly mutates to escape the protective effects of the vaccine.”

Millions of people, RFK noted, caught the Omicron variant, despite being vaccinated. This is due to the nature of the mRNA vaccines. “A single mutation can make mRNA vaccines ineffective,” the secretary emphasized.

“Let me be absolutely clear: HHS supports safe, effective vaccines for every American who wants them,” Kennedy told the public. “That’s why we’re moving beyond the limitations of mRNA for respiratory viruses and investing in better solutions.”

Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), an HHS agency, 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,” a press release from HHS reiterates.

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

BARDA will now focus on “platforms with stronger safety records and transparent clinical and manufacturing data practices,” HHS said. “Technologies that were funded during the emergency phase but failed to meet current scientific standards will be phased out in favor of evidence-based, ethically grounded solutions – like whole-virus vaccines and novel platforms.”

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