The US Health Secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., announced on Tuesday (5) that the federal government will end funding and cancel contracts related to 22 projects of vaccines based on messenger RNA (mRNA) technology, aimed at preventing respiratory diseases such as Covid-19, flu, and avian flu H5N1. The decision directly impacts partnerships with major pharmaceutical companies, such as Pfizer and Moderna, responsible for developing the vaccines. According to Kennedy, the projects had received a total investment of $500 million. In Brazil, this amount would be equivalent to R$ 2.77 billion.
Due to the ongoing war, the UN sent 1.2 million vaccines to Gaza to be administered orally. Parents of children who received the first dose expressed fear of epidemics. Two doses with a one-month interval are necessary. The WHO announced that Israel has agreed to humanitarian pauses to vaccinate over 640,000 children under 10 years. The first case of the disease in 25 years in the region was recently confirmed.
Known for his critical stance on vaccines, the Secretary stated that the decision was made after a technical review conducted by the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA). Kennedy explained that available data indicates that mRNA vaccines do not provide effective protection against upper respiratory infections like Covid-19 and seasonal flu.
We reviewed the data, consulted experts, and took action. We are redirecting these resources to safer and broad-spectrum vaccine platforms that remain effective even with virus mutations,’ said the Secretary in a post on the X social media platform.
