Trump Administration Slashes Moderna's Vaccine Funding
The Trump administration has cut $766 million in funding allocated to Moderna Inc., a U.S. biotech firm, which was intended for developing vaccines against potential pandemic influenza viruses, including the H5N1 bird flu. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) notified Moderna about the withdrawal of funds awarded through the BARDA program.
Funding Details and Moderna's Response
HHS is retracting funds awarded earlier this year to finance the development of Moderna’s investigational vaccine. The company had received $590 million in January and $176 million in July, with the goal of assessing the vaccines' efficacy for bird flu and other pandemic threats, according to a company spokesperson.
Robert F. Kennedy, Health Secretary, has expressed concern regarding the company’s vaccines despite evidence that vaccines developed by Moderna are safe and have saved millions of lives before. "While the termination of funding from HHS adds uncertainty, we are pleased by the robust immune response and safety profile observed in this interim analysis," said the company in a statement.
New COVID-19 Variant and Bird Flu Concerns
Utilizing the same technology from the COVID-19 vaccine development, Moderna has created a new vaccine, mRNA-1018. Simultaneously, a new COVID-19 variant, NB.1.81, has appeared in the U.S., with cases identified in New York, Ohio, California and other states. Last year, the H5N1 bird flu spread to cattle across several states, infecting animals and people. Scientists warn that further changes in the virus could lead to a pandemic.
