Washington, D.C. – On May 29, 2025, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. canceled a $766 million contract with Moderna for the development of an mRNA-based bird flu vaccine, dealing a major blow to the company’s pandemic preparedness efforts, according to Reuters. The decision, which terminates funding for the mRNA-1018 vaccine targeting the H5N1 avian influenza, reflects Kennedy’s skepticism of mRNA technology and has sparked intense debate over vaccine safety, public health strategy, and the nation’s readiness for a potential pandemic.
The contract, initiated under the Biden administration, included $176 million awarded in July 2024 and $590 million in January 2025 to advance late-stage trials and expand testing for multiple flu subtypes, per NBC News. Moderna’s vaccine showed promising interim results in a Phase 1/2 trial with 300 adults, demonstrating a robust immune response and safety profile, the company announced. However, HHS, under Kennedy’s leadership, deemed continued investment “not scientifically or ethically justifiable,” citing concerns about mRNA technology’s safety, per a statement from HHS Communications Director Andrew Nixon.
Kennedy, a long-time vaccine critic, has questioned mRNA vaccines’ safety, despite evidence that COVID-19 mRNA shots saved millions of lives, per The New York Times. His decision aligns with broader moves, including ending COVID vaccine recommendations for healthy children and pregnant women, per FOX 5 DC. Critics, like Dr. Jennifer Nuzzo of Brown University, argue the cancellation undermines pandemic preparedness, as mRNA’s rapid adaptability makes it ideal for fast-moving outbreaks like H5N1, which has infected 70 people and killed one in the U.S. since last year, per NPR.
Supporters, including epidemiologist Nicolas Hulscher, hailed the move as a “major policy shift” away from risky mRNA programs, per Children’s Health Defense. They point to reported adverse events from COVID mRNA vaccines, though these are rare, with 1 billion doses administered globally showing minimal serious side effects, per Brown University’s Ashish Jha. The cancellation also raises questions about the timing of the January grant, seen by some as a last-ditch Biden effort to bolster bird flu response, per The Defender.
The decision leaves the U.S. reliant on a few million doses of older H5N1 vaccines in the national stockpile, which may not match evolving strains, per The New York Times. Moderna plans to explore alternative funding for mRNA-1018, but the loss of federal support could delay progress, per Bloomberg. Meanwhile, other vaccine platforms, like self-amplifying mRNA from Arcturus Therapeutics, are under consideration, per modernity.news.
As bird flu spreads among cattle and poultry, with fears of human-to-human transmission, Kennedy’s move has polarized experts. The nation now faces a critical test of balancing vaccine innovation with public trust.
