The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is terminating contracts for messenger RNA vaccine research, the latest move by the current administration against technology that led to the successful development of mRNA-based Covid-19 vaccines.

The decision announced late Tuesday covers 22 mRNA vaccine contracts funded by the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), the agency that supports development of medical countermeasures addressing health threats, such as pandemics. The canceled contracts — awarded to entities including Moderna, Pfizer, AstraZeneca, CSL Seqirus, and Emory University — represent nearly $500 million in BARDA funding.

In the announcement, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said data show that mRNA vaccines fail to protect effectively agai

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