Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Wednesday saved countless lives after pausing a multimillion-dollar contract from the Biden administration to create a new COVID-19 vaccine.
The project, a $240 million agreement with the pharmaceutical company Vaxart Inc., was part of the Biden administration’s Project NextGen, a $4.7 billion initiative launched in 2023 to develop next-generation COVID-19 vaccines and treatments.
Kennedy ordered an immediate suspension of all actions related to the Vaxart oral COVID-19 vaccine just as 10,000 Americans were set to begin clinical trials. The vaccine was intended to be administered in pill form, a novel approach that the Biden administration heavily promoted as a potential game-changer in pandemic preparedness. However, concerns over safety, oversight failures, and financial accountability led Kennedy to issue a 90-day stop-work order to reassess the project.
“While it is crucial that the Department [of] Health and Human Services (HHS) support pandemic preparedness, four years of the Biden administration’s failed oversight have made it necessary to review agreements for vaccine production, including Vaxart’s,” Kennedy said in comments provided to Fox News Digital on Tuesday.
“I look forward to working with Vaxart and medical experts to ensure this work produces safe, effective, and fiscal-minded vaccine technology.”
The move is one of Kennedy’s first major actions since taking office and aligns with his broader efforts to restore trust in federal health agencies. His decision follows growing concerns about the lack of transparency and accountability in vaccine development under the Biden administration, including rushed approvals and a failure to adequately address adverse effects reported from earlier COVID-19 shots.
Kennedy’s decision comes on the heels of his creation of the “Make America Healthy Again” Commission, which is tasked with investigating chronic health issues and examining past government health policies. His stance on COVID-19 vaccines has long been critical, citing safety concerns and what he calls a failure of regulatory agencies to act in the public’s best interest.
While some critics argue that halting vaccine research could slow pandemic preparedness efforts, supporters of Kennedy’s decision see it as a necessary step toward ensuring future vaccines undergo rigorous scrutiny before reaching the public. With billions of taxpayer dollars at stake, Kennedy’s review signals a significant shift in federal health policy—one that prioritizes safety, efficacy, and financial responsibility over rushed medical interventions and pharmaceutical company interests.
