HHS Responds To Criticism From Big Pharma
Executives of top vaccine companies take aim at the Trump administration
Zachary Stieber via The Epoch Times
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has responded after executives of top vaccine companies took aim at the Trump administration in the wake of a series of actions on vaccines.
“Vaccine recommendations are based on the best available gold-standard scientific evidence and public health considerations, not corporate interests. Under this administration, HHS is not beholden to the pharmaceutical industry,” an HHS spokesperson told The Epoch Times in an email on Jan. 28.
“Decisions are made through transparent processes with the sole aim of protecting the health of the American people. Protecting public health and restoring trust will continue to drive HHS’ vaccine policy.”
Under President Donald Trump and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the Trump administration has downgraded vaccine recommendations for shots against diseases such as COVID-19 and influenza.
Officials have also canceled contracts for vaccine research, including for projects involving messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) technology.
The Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines utilize mRNA.
Albert Bourla, Pfizer’s CEO, was among vaccine company executives recently criticising the Trump administration.
He told The Wall Street Journal during the World Economic Forum in Switzerland in January that Kennedy’s position on vaccines is “anti-science” and that a new secretary of health would be needed for discussions on vaccines to move forward.
Bourla also said that “we always knew that who is in the government is extremely important for our business because it is highly regulated.” In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration, part of HHS, decides whether to clear vaccines. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, another HHS division, offers recommendations for cleared shots.
At the same event, Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel told Bloomberg TV that Moderna has no plans to invest in late-stage trials for vaccines because the Trump administration’s actions are making the potential market size in the United States “much smaller.”
“You cannot make a return on investment if you don’t have access to the US market,” he said.
In addition to narrowing vaccine recommendations and scaling back funding for vaccine research, Kennedy has announced officials are looking into whether vaccines cause autism. This week, he appointed new members to a federal autism committee, including people who have said autism is caused by vaccines.
“Vaccines will not be a growth area under the current administration,” ING Global Lead for Pharma and Healthcare Stephen Farrelly said.
Investors said that long-term prospects for vaccine makers remain robust, but that companies are now more beholden to the positions of political leaders.
“Unfortunately, success and failure will rest on the opinions of a few people. It’s not enough to have good science and commercial opportunity,” Clear Street analyst Bill Maughan said.
GlaxoSmithKline and French drugmaker Sanofi have already reported lower vaccine sales in the United States, and Australia’s CSL in the fall of 2025 postponed separating its vaccine unit, citing “heightened volatility” and falling U.S. vaccination rates.
Sanofi on Jan. 29 said it expected sales growth in 2026 overall, but sales from vaccines were expected to be slightly negative in part due to Trump administration changes.
“Dosing, administration, and insurance coverage remain largely the same … It’s more a perception issue more than anything else,” Sanofi CFO François-Xavier Roger said on a call with journalists. “The change of vaccine policy may have an impact, but it’s difficult to quantify at this stage. It might be slightly negative, but it’s too early to say and to quantify.”
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Header featured image (edited) credit: From left, Richard Gonzalez of AbbVie, Kenneth Frazier of Merck, Jennifer Taubert of Johnson & Johnson, Olivier Brandicourt of Sanofi, Pascal Soriot of AstraZeneca, Giovanni Caforio of BMS, and Albert Bourla of Pfizer.ILLUSTRATION: ALEX HOGAN/STAT; PHOTOS: ABBVIE, AP, JOHNSON & JOHNSON, GETTY IMAGES (2), BMS, GETTY IMAGES
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