Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has issued a stop-work order on a Biden-era contract for a new oral Covid-19 vaccine. Yet, the broader HHS initiative on advancing a new generation of Covid vaccines and therapeutics remains fully intact, with all other 30 programs advancing without interruption.
Likewise, Covid vaccines already on the market remain untouched, with Kennedy’s HHS making no moves to revoke Emergency Use Authorizations (EUAs), reassess liability protections, or change federal recommendations.
For a man who once called Covid mass vaccination “mass murder,” Kennedy’s timid moves seem more like symbolic posturing than meaningful reform — halting a single trial while the vast, government-backed vaccine machine continues to run at full speed.
In an exclusive statement to Fox News Digital, Kennedy justified the pause on Vaxart’s trial, citing concerns over Biden-era oversight and fiscal responsibility.
While it is crucial that the Department [of] Health and Human Services (HHS) support pandemic preparedness, four years of the Biden administration’s failed oversight have made it necessary to review agreements for vaccine production, including Vaxart’s.
He added,
I look forward to working with Vaxart and medical experts to ensure this work produces safe, effective, and fiscal-minded vaccine technology.
Kennedy’s 90-day stop-work order affects a contract that was part of the Biden administration’s $4.7 billion “Project NextGen” initiative, designed to develop next-generation Covid vaccines. The Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), a division of HHS, allocated $460 million to Vaxart’s vaccine project, with $240 million already spent on preliminary studies.
The outlet specified that a recent “modification” in the contract would have let Vaxart request the remaining $230 million from the government to continue its clinical trials. However, Kennedy’s stop-work order has frozen those payments for now. Vaxart can still bill HHS for monitoring people who participated in earlier trial phases, but it cannot move forward with the next stage of testing until the review is complete.
According to Children’s Health Defense (CHD), a nonprofit founded by Kennedy, Project NextGen was conceived as a successor to Trump’s Operation Warp Speed (OWS), aiming to fast-track new Covid vaccines. CHD reports that the project receives funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Rockefeller Foundation, highlighting the influence of private interests in public health policy.
While Kennedy has halted one taxpayer-funded vaccine trial, Project NextGen remains fully operational. That means that HHS has left the broader Biden-era initiative untouched, reaffirming the government’s commitment to pharmaceutical-driven Covid solutions. That includes the following areas of vaccine development and pandemic preparedness:
One of NextGen’s major efforts focuses on intranasal vaccines, designed to be easier to administer while also promising to “dramatically reduce infection and transmission.” This, of course, sounds eerily similar to the assurances given about the “original” vaccines — claims that later proved far less conclusive than initially stated.
Another pillar of NextGen is the development of broad-spectrum Covid vaccines, promising longer-lasting immunity and better protection against variants. While the effort might seem reasonable, it again prompts the question: If the previous vaccines are “safe and effective,” according to Kennedy’s HHS, why replace them?
NextGen also touts its work on “innovative solutions for rapid, lower-cost vaccine production.” While efficiency is generally welcome, the push for faster, more flexible production raises concerns about regulatory shortcuts, which Kennedy himself used to scorch. The history of rushed medical approvals — cue Covid vaccines — suggests that speed does not always align with safety or long-term effectiveness.
Project NextGen is also focused on a universal Covid vaccine. This shot would target multiple coronaviruses at once. On the surface, this may sound appealing. But the broader implication is clear. Covid vaccine research is no longer just about SARS-CoV-2. It is about building a permanent pandemic infrastructure.
This aligns with Trump’s decision to keep the Biden-era Office of Pandemic Preparedness and Response Policy (OPPR) at the White House, ensuring that the same centralized pandemic framework remains intact.
Monoclonal antibody treatments are a major focus of NextGen. Yet, past versions have repeatedly failed.
Earlier Covid antibody treatments lost effectiveness against new variants, and were quietly phased out as a result. Now, NextGen aims to create “more resilient” monoclonal therapies. But this keeps the focus on reactive solutions instead of a broader, more effective Covid treatment strategy.
Project NextGen pours billions into new vaccine technologies. Yet, it completely ignores one critical area — cheap, effective early treatments like ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine.
From the start of the pandemic, doctors successfully used and promoted low-cost therapeutics. These treatments proved effective in reducing viral replication and easing symptoms when given early.
Despite this, the government prioritized vaccines and expensive pharmaceuticals. From OWS to Project NextGen, the focus has remained the same.
Under Kennedy’s leadership, nothing has changed. The vaccine pipeline stays intact, while off-patent, accessible treatments remain ignored. Covid care remains tied to an endless cycle of new vaccines.
Beyond moving ahead with NextGen, Kennedy has made no move to reassess or restrict existing Covid vaccines.
Despite his previous criticism of mass vaccination, Secretary Kennedy has not exercised his authority to alter existing Covid vaccine policies.
Liability Protections: The Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness (PREP) Act grants immunity to vaccine manufacturers until December 31, 2029. The HHS secretary has the authority to amend or revoke this declaration, but has not done so.
Emergency Use Authorizations (EUAs): Certain Covid vaccines, including some booster and pediatric doses, are administered under EUAs. Kennedy can revoke those under Section 564 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. No such action has been taken.
HHS Promotion of Vaccination: HHS still promotes Covid vaccines, including urging parents to vaccinate children. This continues despite clear evidence of harm — myocarditis, blood clots, reproductive and neurological issues, and premature death, among others. CHD and other groups have thoroughly documented these risks.
Kennedy’s pause changes nothing. Covid vaccine policies, government promotion, and new projects all move forward.