Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Director Robert F. Kennedy Jr. suspends Biden-era contract to create a new Covid-19 vaccine, Fox News Digital It has been reported on tuesday.
“The department is important [of] Health and Human Services (HHS) is helping you prepare for the pandemic. For four years of Biden's administration's oversight, we had to consider a vaccine production agreement, including Vaxart,” Kennedy told the outlet in a statement.
“We look forward to working with Vaxart and medical professionals to ensure that this work produces safe, effective, financially oriented vaccine technology,” he added.
The HHS contract is with American Biotech Company Vaxart Inc., which is developing a new Covid-19 vaccine that can be ingested orally. Kennedy did not end his contract. Instead, the exam will be paused at a 90-day stopwork order issued on Friday.
The suspension order came ahead of the start of 10,000 clinical trials on Monday, according to the report.
The deal is part of the $4.7 billion project Nextgen initiative launched in 2023 to “simplify the development of new vaccines,” the report says. The Vaxart vaccine is funded through an agreement with Barda (BImedical Advanced Research and Development Bureau), it is Management for strategic preparation and response under HHS.
Fox News Digital has learned that Barda has mandated $460 million to develop Vaxart's Covid-19 vaccine, and $240 million has already been allowed for preliminary investigations.
According to the suspension work order, the suspension order prevents Vaxart from charging Barda for the remaining $230 million for clinical trials, according to the report. Vaxart can still charge HHS for medical surveillance of those who participated in early trials.
The suspension occurs within two weeks of Kennedy's confirmation as HHS Secretary. President Donald Trump signed the executive order after confirmation from Kennedy and created the Make America Healthy Again Committee. Kennedy will investigate and deal with the “root causes of the escalating health crisis in America.”
During the Biden administration, Covid-19 vaccines have been mandated across the federal government, and many businesses have also required vaccines, leading to massive backlash, protests and layoffs across the country for refusing to unite employees.
Trump has since signed an executive order related to the Biden administration's vaccine mandate, including the revival of service members fired for refusing to take the coronavirus vaccine. Trump has also signed an order banning federal funding for schools and universities that require students to be vaccinated against the coronavirus before attending in-person classes.
