HOUSTON – The federal government is ending funding for some vaccine development projects using messenger RNA (mRNA) technology, a move that could affect local researchers and ongoing projects.
EXPLAINER: What to know about mRNA vaccines
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced the decision to pivot away from mRNA vaccines and instead support other vaccine platforms through BARDA - the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority.
mRNA vaccines, which became widely known during the COVID-19 pandemic, stunned medical experts with their rapid development and effectiveness. The technology, however, has been researched long before that, including for cancer therapies at institutions like MD Anderson Cancer Center.
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Dr. Maria Elena Bottazzi, co-director of the Texas Children’s Hospital Center for Vaccine Development at Baylor College of Medicine, explained the advantages of mRNA technology during a 2021 interview.
“You can very rapidly deploy the production of it in months and not necessarily years,” Bottazzi said.
mRNA works by instructing the body to create a miniature army trained to recognize the spike protein on the coronavirus. When the actual virus enters the system, this army identifies and attacks it.
“The moment you have a pathogen code, we can rapidly engineer an RNA code that mimics that pathogen,” Bottazzi said. “And then our body does everything.”
Despite 22 active research projects aimed at advancing mRNA vaccines against various diseases, Kennedy claims the technology is ineffective against respiratory infections like COVID-19 and the flu - a stance that contradicts existing scientific evidence.
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The shift in funding priorities raises questions about the future of mRNA vaccine research and its role in combating infectious diseases.
Statement from UTMB
“The University of Texas Medical Branch is currently evaluating the implications of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ decision to wind down mRNA vaccine development activities under BARDA. We are reviewing the scope and impact of this shift in federal priorities, including how it may affect UTMB’s ongoing collaborations and research initiatives. As always, UTMB remains committed to advancing public health through innovative, evidence-based biomedical research.”
Statement from Baylor College of Medicine
“We are currently assessing the situation and its potential impact. While we don’t have all the details yet, we are actively monitoring developments and will keep you informed as soon as we have more information.”