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NIH director: Lack of public trust led to contract cuts

Leader of the National Institutes of Health Jay Bhattacharya is offering a new explanation on why the federal government is pivoting away from investing in mRNA platforms.

© AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin

Bhattacharya said in a recent episode of the podcast “War Room” and then again in an opinion piece in The Washington Post, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) chose to cancel millions of dollars in mRNA contracts because the American public does not trust the technology.

His reasoning differs from the explanation HHS Secretary Kennedy gave for canceling $500 million worth of mRNA contracts last week. Kennedy justified the move by claiming the technology does not meet “current scientific standards.”

Bhatta

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