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ABANDONING MRNA IS A DANGEROUS DECISION  
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Rick Bright
August 18, 2025
The New York Times
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_ If the United States abandons mRNA, it will not simply be
forfeiting a public health advantage. It will be ceding a strategic
asset. In national security terms, mRNA is the equivalent of a missile
defense system for biology. _

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In early 2020, when the first genetic sequence of the new coronavirus
was posted online, scientists were ready. Within hours, they began
designing a vaccine. Within weeks, clinical trials were underway. That
unprecedented speed, which saved millions of lives, was possible only
because years earlier, the United States invested in a vaccine
technology called mRNA. Today that work is being sidelined and, with
it, our best chance to quickly respond when the next threat emerges.

The Department of Health and Human Services recently announced it
would wind down 22 mRNA vaccine development projects under the
Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, or BARDA,
halting nearly $500 million in investments. This decision undercuts
one of the most significant medical advances in decades, technology
that could protect millions more people from the threats ahead.

I know the stakes because I was BARDA’s director when the United
States made the decision to invest heavily in mRNA. That investment
did not begin with Covid-19. It began in 2016, when we faced the Zika
virus outbreak. We needed a way to design a vaccine in days, not
years, to protect pregnant women and their babies from devastating
birth defects. Older vaccine approaches were too slow. The solution
was mRNA: a flexible, rapid-response technology that could be
reprogrammed for any pathogen once its genetic sequence was known.
That early investment laid the groundwork for the lightning-fast
Covid-19 response four years later.

BARDA wasn’t the only government agency making early investments in
mRNA research. The Department of Defense and the Defense Advanced
Research Projects Agency had already recognized mRNA’s potential for
swift action against emerging biological threats, including those that
might be weaponized. Globally, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness
Innovations, the World Health Organization and the Bill & Melinda
Gates Foundation committed substantial resources to advance the
technology for viruses with pandemic potential. These combined efforts
created a scientific and manufacturing foundation that allowed the
world to move at warp speed when Covid-19 emerged.

During the pandemic, mRNA vaccines went from the genetic sequence of
the virus to human trials in under 70 days. They were evaluated in
large, rigorous trials, meeting the same safety and effectiveness
standards as other vaccines. By the end of 2021, they had saved an
estimated 20 million lives globally, including more than one million
in the United States. They reduced hospitalization and death rates,
lowered the risk of long Covid and helped economies and communities
reopen sooner.

The mRNA technology is not a single vaccine. It is what scientists
describe as a platform, which can be adapted quickly for new or
mutating viruses, combined to target multiple variants and
manufactured through a streamlined process that reduces reliance on
fragile global supply chains. It is now being tested for personalized
cancer vaccines, autoimmune therapies and treatments for rare
diseases. It is under study to protect against pathogens like the
Nipah, Lassa and Chikungunya viruses, threats that could cause the
next global emergency.

Like every technology, mRNA has limitations. Vaccines meant to protect
against respiratory infections, whether developed through mRNA or
older technologies, are generally better at averting severe disease
than preventing infection. It is a scientific challenge we can address
with next-generation vaccines. The answer to limitations is
improvement, not abandonment.

Political narratives about mRNA have fueled confusion, which leads to
mistrust, yet the scientific evidence consistently shows that this
technology is safe and effective and holds enormous potential for
future vaccines and treatments. Some have claimed mRNA encourages
viral mutations or prolongs pandemics.

Research says otherwise. Mutations arise when viruses replicate.
Vaccination can help reduce the chances of virus replication, which
would reduce opportunities for mutation. Other critics point to safety
concerns. With more than 13 billion Covid‑19 vaccine doses
administered globally, including hundreds of millions of mRNA doses,
the evidence shows that serious complications are very rare and occur
at rates comparable with those of other vaccines. Most side effects
are mild and short‑lived.

If the United States abandons mRNA, it will not simply be forfeiting a
public health advantage. It will be ceding a strategic asset. In
national security terms, mRNA is the equivalent of a missile defense
system for biology. The ability to rapidly design, produce and deploy
medical countermeasures is as vital to our defense as any military
capability. Adversaries that invest in this technology will be able to
respond faster to outbreaks, protecting their populations sooner than
we can.

Right now, the United States has a decisive advantage in mRNA science,
manufacturing capacity and regulatory expertise. But in an era when
biological threats can be engineered, losing this competitive edge
would leave the United States vulnerable and dependent on others for
lifesaving tools.

The consequences of canceling mRNA contracts will affect more nations
than just the United States. Many countries have been building
regional mRNA manufacturing capacity. For a leader like the United
States to pull back now undermines that effort and weakens our
collective ability to respond to the next outbreak. It means choosing
to face the next biological threat with fewer defenses and slower
tools while others build speed and strength.

There is a better path forward. The Department of Health and Human
Services can work with scientists, public health experts and security
leaders to refine and improve mRNA technology while preserving
critical programs and production capacity. By recalibrating rather
than severing support, we can keep this powerful tool ready for the
time it is needed most. The next crisis will not wait for us to
rebuild what we have thrown away.

_Dr. Bright is a virologist and a former head of the Biomedical
Advanced Research and Development Authority._

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* mRNA
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* vaccines
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* Science
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* biology
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* pandemics
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