NIH and HHS Cancel Major mRNA Vaccine Research Funding, Citing Lack of Public Trust

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced the cancellation of $500 million in contracts/grants supporting mRNA vaccine development, affecting 22 ongoing projects, including ones for COVID-19 and influenza vaccines135.

NIH director Jay Bhattacharya stated the platform was no longer viable due to a lack of public trust, noting declining uptake of COVID boosters and broad vaccine hesitancy, which he attributed to undermining the feasibility of future mRNA-based immunization campaigns1.

This explanation differs from that of HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who previously argued the cessation was due to unproven concerns over mRNA vaccines’ safety and efficacy against upper respiratory viruses; both rationales have been widely criticized by scientists13.

Reports also indicate NIH officials told scientists to remove references to mRNA vaccine technology from grant applications — a signal that future mRNA research could be deprioritized or abandoned2.

Vaccine researchers and global health advocates have condemned the move, warning it may leave the U.S. less prepared for future infectious disease outbreaks and could have a chilling effect on vaccine innovation and public health preparedness3.

Previous NIH grant freezes related to vaccines have been found to violate legal guidelines by the Government Accountability Office3.

Sources:

1. https://www.statnews.com/2025/08/11/mrna-vaccines-bhattacharya-bannon/

2. https://kffhealthnews.org/news/article/nih-grants-mrna-vaccines-trump-administration-hhs-rfk/

3. https://avac.org/blog/global-health-watch-issue28/

5. https://www.aha.org/news/headline/2025-08-06-hhs-stop-funding-mrna-vaccine-development-under-barda