Clinical trials for a new COVID-19 vaccine have come to a halt after Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ordered a 90-day stop-work order on a multi-million-dollar contract greenlit by the Biden administration.
The pause, announced on Feb. 21, affects Vaxart Inc., a U.S.-based biotech company developing an oral COVID-19 vaccine. Initially reported by Fox News Digital on Feb. 25, the decision disrupts planned clinical trials involving 10,000 participants, which were set to begin on Feb. 24.
Kennedy explained that while pandemic preparedness is vital, “four years of the Biden administration’s failed oversight have made it necessary to review agreements for vaccine production, including Vaxart’s.”
Though temporarily halted, the trial has not been permanently canceled, according to an HHS spokesperson. Over the next 90 days, Kennedy and other health officials will review the contract before determining the next steps.
Kennedy’s Vaccine Review Shakes Up Washington
The Vaxart vaccine was funded through the Biden administration’s $4.7 billion Project NextGen initiative, launched in 2023. As part of this program, the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), under HHS, allocated approximately $460 million to Vaxart, with $240 million already disbursed.
Following the announcement, an FDA vaccine advisory committee meeting set for March was abruptly canceled. Committee member Dr. Paul Offit—director of the Vaccine Education Center at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and a vocal critic of Kennedy—revealed that FDA officials notified them of the cancellation via email. The meeting was originally scheduled to select flu strains for next season’s vaccines.
Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) will convene on Feb. 28 to recommend flu vaccine strains for the Northern Hemisphere.
Historically, the FDA has adhered to WHO recommendations, but that dynamic may shift under Trump’s leadership. In January, Trump signed an executive order initiating the process of withdrawing the U.S. from the WHO.
Kennedy’s First Moves as HHS Secretary
After being confirmed by the Senate and sworn in as HHS secretary two weeks ago, Kennedy wasted no time making waves. Immediately after taking office, Trump signed an executive order establishing the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Commission, which Kennedy now chairs.
The commission is tasked with advising the president on tackling the nation’s rising chronic disease crisis. Its scope includes investigating potential contributors such as “the American diet, absorption of toxic material, medical treatments, lifestyle, environmental factors, government policies, food production techniques, electromagnetic radiation, and corporate influence or cronyism.”
For years, Kennedy has been labeled an “anti-vaxxer”—by the left.
However, he positions himself as an advocate for vaccine safety, informed consent, and rigorous scientific evaluation.
“I’ve never been anti-vaccine,” Kennedy told The Epoch Times in September 2024.
“People should have a choice, and that choice should be informed by the best information possible. I’m going to ensure that there are science-based safety studies available, and people can make their own assessments about whether a vaccine is good for them.”
Trump’s War on Biden’s COVID Mandates
Under the Biden administration, COVID-19 vaccine mandates were widespread across federal agencies, private companies, and universities. But since Trump’s return to the White House, he has swiftly taken action to reverse these policies.
On Feb. 14, Trump signed an executive order cutting federal funding to universities and schools enforcing COVID vaccine mandates.
In his first week back in office, he also reinstated service members discharged for refusing the shot, granting them full back pay and benefits.
“Radical Transparency” at HHS
Kennedy has made it clear that his leadership at HHS will mark a shift toward what he calls a “new era of radical transparency.” Addressing agency staff last week, he emphasized the need for openness and accountability.
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“I’m not going to come in here and impose my belief over any of yours,” Kennedy stated.
“Instead, we’re going to work together to launch a new era of radical transparency. Only through radical transparency can we provide Americans with genuine informed consent, which is the bedrock and the foundation stone of democracy.”
The decision to pause Vaxart’s vaccine contract signals Kennedy’s commitment to re-evaluating vaccine safety and efficacy. His stance has gained traction among medical professionals who argue for further scrutiny of COVID-19 vaccine data.
Growing Calls for Vaccine Safety Studies
In January, Canada’s Alberta province released a groundbreaking 269-page report examining its pandemic response. Dr. Gary Davidson, lead author of the report, told American Thought Leaders that lockdowns, mask mandates, and vaccine requirements largely failed to achieve their intended goals.
“There’s just so much data out there. The Nordic countries did a huge study—millions of people, showing that if you’re under 50 years old, and if you don’t have any really good reason, you probably shouldn’t get this vaccine,” Davidson explained.
Meanwhile, Dr. Robert Redfield, former CDC director under Trump, echoed similar concerns during Politico’s First 100 Days: Health Care event on Feb. 19.
“I’m in clinical practice two half-days a week right now, and largely doing COVID and long COVID, and I have a number of patients that have very serious long-term consequences from the mRNA vaccines,” Redfield stated. “Let’s get that systematically reviewed by the experts.”
With Kennedy at the helm of HHS and Trump back in office, the landscape of federal health policy is shifting dramatically.
The coming months will determine whether Kennedy’s push for vaccine scrutiny leads to permanent changes—or an even bigger battle with Big Pharma.
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