Government freezes $240M oral COVID vaccine project, halting 10,000-person trial amid safety concerns. Signals potential shift in vaccine funding strategy as officials scrutinize spending.
The story
The government just slammed the brakes on a major COVID vaccine project, freezing $240 million meant for developing an oral vaccine. Health Secretary Kennedy ordered Vaxart Inc. to stop work for 90 days while his team takes a closer look at safety concerns and spending.
This puts everything on pause – including clinical trials with 10,000 people. The government wants time to figure out if this vaccine is worth the investment or if it’s just throwing good money after bad.
The timing is interesting. President Trump recently blocked federal funding for school vaccine mandates and brought back military members who were fired for refusing shots. Vaxart already got $240 million for early research and was expecting another $230 million. Now they’re limited to just covering medical monitoring for trial participants.
Big picture – this could be the start of the government backing away from COVID vaccine funding. Or maybe they’re just being extra careful with taxpayer money. Either way, it’s a sign that officials are starting to question these massive vaccine investments.
The COVID vaccine debate isn’t going anywhere. But for now, one thing’s clear: the government is pumping the brakes and taking a hard look at where this is all headed.
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