TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN). — The federal government announced this week that it is pulling more than $500 million in funding from vaccine development projects that use mRNA technology, which is the same platform behind the COVID-19 vaccine.
U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said the Department of Health and Human Services is shifting focus toward developing what he calls “safer and more stable” vaccine strategies, such as whole-virus vaccines. In total, 22 federally funded projects are being halted, including research into mRNA-based vaccines for COVID-19, influenza, and bird flu.
Crystal Rambaud, the Immunization Program Manager with the Pima County Health Department, said the announcement won’t affect vaccine availability this fall.
“This is not going to change the fact that we have the mRNA COVID vaccine,” Rambaud said. “There are no currently approved flu vaccines that use the mRNA platform, so there’s not going to be any changes to our inventory. We’ll still have all the vaccines that we’re planning to have for the fall.”
However, she said the cuts could affect the long-term availability of future vaccines.
“What this changes is the research pipeline for those vaccinated,” Rambaud explained. “There’s not going to be as much funding for the development of that platform with vaccines. So it could change the future of vaccine availability.”
The mRNA platform, used in both the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines, was credited with saving millions of lives during the pandemic due to its speed and adaptability. Critics of the funding cut say it could slow progress on future pandemic preparedness.
“We want to make sure there’s well-funded research that’s happening to promote safe vaccinations that work well and are available to the public,” she said.
For more information about immunizations in Pima County, visit their website.
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Athena Kehoe is a reporter for KGUN 9, she joined the KGUN 9 team in July of 2024 after graduating from Arizona State University. Share your story ideas with Athena by emailing athena.kehoe@kgun9.com or by connecting on X/Twitter.
