A potential avian flu vaccine for people and other mRNA vaccine development activities under the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) will undergo a coordinated wind-down following an August 5 announcement from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
According to HHS Secretary Robert F Kennedy, Jr., “BARDA is terminating 22 mRNA vaccine development investments because the data show these vaccines fail to protect effectively against upper respiratory infections like COVID and flu. We’re shifting that funding toward safer, broader vaccine platforms that remain effective even as viruses mutate.”
Future BARDA research will focus on “platforms with stronger safety records” and “evidence-based, ethically grounded solutions – like whole virus vaccines and novel disease platforms,” the press release said.
The Center for the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) provides an integrated, systematic approach to the development of the necessary vaccines, drugs, therapies and diagnostic tools for public health medical emergencies, like emerging infectious diseases, according to its website.
Avian flu vaccine contract canceled
Moderna received $776 million funding in July 2024 and planned to leverage the same mRNA technology used in its COVID-19 vaccines to develop a vaccine against avian influenza in people. That contract was canceled in May 2025. At the time, HHS called mRNA technology “under-tested” and cited “safety concerns.”
The proposed vaccine technology uses messenger RNA (mRNA) encapsulated into a lipid nanoparticle. The mRNA is genetically engineered to provide instructions on how to make a fake copy of the spike protein, a spikelike structure used viruses to infect cells. The immune system learns to recognize these foreign proteins, creating antibodies that can protect the body against future possible infections from a disease.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the H5N1 flu virus has caused 70 human cases.
Existing contracts with Emory University, Luminary Labs, ModeX and Seqirus were also canceled, with nearly $500 million in funding impacted. Other uses of mRNA technology within the department or other areas of the government will not be affected, including an mRNA avian flu vaccine in the works at the CDC.
