US health officials cancel $500M in mRNA vaccine contracts due to effectiveness concerns.

The US Department of Health and Human Services has canceled 22 mRNA vaccine contracts worth nearly $500 million, citing concerns over their effectiveness against respiratory infections like COVID-19 and flu. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said the data show these vaccines fail to effectively protect against such illnesses. The department plans to shift funding towards safer, broader vaccine platforms that remain effective even as viruses mutate. This move has sparked debate about the future of mRNA vaccine technology, which was credited with helping end the pandemic.