RFK Jr. says HHS to cancel investment in new mRNA vaccines
For years, Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has expressed concern regarding the safety of some vaccines.
An example of Kennedy's concern came this week in the form of a bombshell decision regarding mRNA technology.
HHS cancels vaccine investment
"At HHS, we have a division called the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, or BARDA," Breitbart quoted Kennedy as saying in a video posted to social media on Tuesday.
"BARDA drives some of our most advanced scientific research. It funds developments of vaccines, drugs, diagnostics, and other tools to fight emerging diseases and national health threats," he noted.
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
"Over the past few weeks, BARDA reviewed 22 mRNA vaccine development investments, and began canceling them," the Trump administration official stated.
"Let me explain why,” Kennedy continued. "Most of these shots are for flu or COVID, but as the pandemic showed us, mRNA vaccines don’t perform well against viruses that infect the upper respiratory tract."
Kennedy: mRNA "paradoxically encourages new mutations"
"Here’s the problem: mRNA only codes for a small part of the viral proteins -- usually a single antigen. One mutation, and the vaccine becomes ineffective," he stressed.
"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," Kennedy noted.
"Millions of people, maybe even you or someone you know, caught the Omicron variant, despite being vaccinated. That’s because a single mutation can make mRNA vaccines ineffective," the HHS secretary pointed out.
Kennedy went on to say that his department has found that mRNA technology poses more risk than benefits for these respiratory viruses."
FDA updates warning requirement
He remarked that the conclusion was reached after "reviewing the science and consulting top experts" at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
"That’s why, after extensive review, BARDA has begun the process of terminating these 22 contracts totaling just under $500 million," Kennedy added.
Meanwhile, Breitbart recalled how in June the FDA updated its requirements for pharmaceutical giants Pfizer and Moderna "to include new safety information about the risks of myocarditis and pericarditis following administration of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines."
