The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) plans to cancel $500 million (£376 million) of funding to develop mRNA vaccines to fight the flu and Covid-19 viruses.
The move will affect 22 projects led by major pharmaceutical companies, including Pfizer and ModernA, to target bird flu and other viruses, HHS said.
Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr, a vaccine skeptic, announced he is getting funding for “mRNA technology poses greater risks than these respiratory viruses.”
Doctors and health experts criticized Kennedy for his long view on the safety and effectiveness of vaccines and their health policies.
Peter Lurie, a former U.S. Food and Drug Administration official, said the development of mRNA vaccines targeting Covid-19 is crucial to help slow the pandemic and save millions of lives.
He told the BBC that the change is “one of the most promising tools for the United States to refuse to fight the next pandemic”.
Kennedy said in a statement that his team “reviewed science, listened to experts, and took action.” ”
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