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The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is investing $500 million in a National Institutes of Health (NIH) project to develop a pandemic vaccine platform using whole killed viruses, a 70-year-old technology. Many scientists express concern about this approach, citing the availability of newer, faster methods like mRNA vaccines. Critics question the funding process, lack of peer review, and potential side effects of the whole-killed virus method. While the NIH defends the project, claiming it offers broad, long-lasting protection, concerns remain regarding its effectiveness and the prioritization of this method over potentially more efficient technologies. The project aims for a universal flu vaccine by 2029, a goal many scientists find ambitious.

Prepared by Olivia Bennett and reviewed by editorial team.