On May 28, 2025, the Trump administration canceled a $590 million contract with Moderna for development of a bird flu vaccine for humans. The contract, which was awarded by the Biden administration in January 2025, supported the development of the vaccine and expanded clinical studies for additional pandemic influenza subtypes.
A Health and Human Services spokesperson said that, following a thorough internal review, the project didn’t meet the necessary scientific standards or safety expectations for continued funding.
The cancellation has raised concerns among health experts about losing a potential tool to combat avian influenza outbreaks. "The government is discarding what could be one of the most effective and rapid tools to combat an avian influenza outbreak," said Amesh Adalja, senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security.