WASHINGTON, DC — The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced in August 2025 a wind-down of mRNA vaccine development under the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, terminating 22 projects worth nearly $500 million. The decision halts federally funded work on a platform that had been used for Covid-19 vaccines and was being explored for additional applications.

The Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, known as BARDA, sits within HHS and has supported the procurement and development of medical countermeasures against pandemic and emerging disease threats. The 22 terminated projects represent nearly $500 million in federal commitments across mRNA research programs.

mRNA technology offers faster responses to new viruses, more adaptable flu vaccines, individualized cancer therapies and countermeasures for threats too small for ordinary markets but too dangerous to ignore. Once delivery platforms, safety data, production lines, quality controls and regulatory pathways are in place, a new target can be pursued faster than with most traditional approaches.

Developing any vaccine candidate remains a multi-step process. A candidate must still identify the right antigen, generate durable immunity, prove safety, and navigate trials that are difficult to run when outbreaks are sporadic.

The core benefit of Covid-19 mRNA vaccines was protection against severe disease, hospitalization and death. Vaccinated people could still be infected after receiving Covid-19 mRNA shots.

The U.S. has universities, regulators, capital markets and manufacturing capacities that support vaccine development. Moderna has disclosed preclinical and early-stage work in collaboration with the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases and Korea University.