First mRNA-based flu shot approved in US – despite RFK Jr’s objections to the science

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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the first mRNA-based flu vaccine Thursday despite the Trump administration’s past moves to pull millions in funding from related research.

Made by Moderna, the shot known as “mFLUSIVA” is the first flu shot using mRNA technology. The vaccines can be manufactured much faster than traditional vaccines, ensuring scientists can quickly respond to different strains.

The vaccine is approved for individuals over the age of 50. This demographic make up the majority of the nation’s flu deaths and hospitalizations, Moderna CEO Stéphane Bancel explained in a statement.

Flu remains a significant burden in the U.S. healthcare system, with more than 45,000 Americans dying from the contagious respiratory virus during the 2024-2025 season. In that period, flu-related hospitalizations and outpatient visits reached their highest levels in 15 years.

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr pulled $500 million in funding for mRNA vaccine development last year, saying he had “listened to the experts” and claiming data had shown the vaccines fail to protect against Covid and flu. It caused outrage in the medical community who said the U.S. would pay the price in dollars and lives.

The first mRNA flu vaccine has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Moderna’s mFLUSIVA is approved for seniors and will be available to the public later this year (AFP/Getty)

The shots are expected to be made available to the public in the coming weeks, but it’s unclear how much they will cost. Most current flu shots are free if you have health insurance, and some are still available at no-or low-cost to those without.

“Modernizing the development and production of influenza vaccines has long been a public health priority, and today’s approval of an mRNA-based flu vaccine marks an important step toward a more modern approach,” said Bancel.

The announcement comes just weeks after the U.S. Air Force re-implemented a flu shot requirement following an outbreak that sickened more than 200 trainees at a base in San Antonio, Texas.

Denial – and then a U-turn

The flu shot approval came after the FDA review process nearly collapsed earlier this year.

The Wall Street Journal reported in February that the FDA, which is under the Health and Human Services Department run by RFK Jr., sent a letter to Moderna refusing to review its December 2025 application and stating that testing on the vaccine hadn’t been sufficient. Moderna said publicly that the company was surprised by the FDA’s decision.

Vinay Prasad – head of the FDA vaccine and biologics division at the time – cited the fact that the vaccine was tested against a standard flu shot dose rather than the specially recommended higher dose for seniors.

The FDA reversed course after Moderna revised its application for mFLUSIVA, and a vaccine advisory committee for the FDA voted to recommend the shot in June.

Sec. Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.’s Health and Human Services Department pulled $500 million in funding for mRNA vaccine development last year. That move drew outrage from medical experts, who said the U.S. would pay the price in dollars and lives (Getty)

A $500M gamble

All of this follows actions by HHS under Kennedy that limited science and funding for mRNA research.

The department pulled $500 million for mRNA vaccine development last year after Kennedy claimed that “data” had shown the vaccines “fail to protect effectively against upper respiratory infections like Covid and flu.”

“We’re shifting that funding toward safer, broader vaccine platforms that remain effective even as viruses mutate,” he said.

But years of scientific studies contradict claims that Covid and flu vaccines fail to protect against infection, according to the University of Pennsylvania’s Annenberg Public Policy Center’s FactCheck.org.

The data source Kennedy cited in the decision – a bibliography from the book “TOXIC SHOT: Facing the Dangers of the COVID ‘Vaccines’” – had actually supported expanding mRNA vaccine development, according to an op-ed written by infectious disease expert and pediatrician Dr. Jake Scott.

Doctors decried Kennedy’s decision to pull the funding, telling The Independent that mRNA vaccines could stymie cancer research and lead to further spread of deadly diseases.

An “attack on mRNA vaccine technology rests on phony and false claims, proven so by real facts and evidence,” Dr. Jennifer Nuzzo, director of the Pandemic Center at the Brown University School of Public Health, told The Independent in August 2025.

“It is, however, aligned with his long-held and deadly determination to sow doubts about all vaccines and to restrict the ability of the American people to access vaccines. Our nation will pay dearly for this decision in dollars and lives,” she said.

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