Vaccine makers face mRNA backlash as states seek further restrictions
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks at a podium. DeSantis signed the Stop WOKE Act, which restricts D&I training in workplaces and schools, in April 2022. ·Pharma Voice·Joe Raedle via Getty Images
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Trust in vaccines fell again in 2025 as the Trump administration returned to the White House and immediately began to implement a bold public health agenda. About 17% of parents recently reported skipping or delaying some immunizations, up from 10% in 2023, according to a KFF poll.
The uptick in vaccine skepticism is indicative of a rising trend across the country, and now a handful of states are targeting mRNA, the breakthrough technology behind COVID-19 vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech. Despite COVID vaccines saving an estimated 3 million American lives in the first few years mRNA shots were on the market, U.S. lawmakers are proposing new restrictions on their use.
At the same time, the Trump administration is looking to gut vaccine-related research funding. Together, the actions are mounting pressure on vaccine makers — here’s how the latest efforts to dismantle mRNA innovation are playing out.
Stateside bills
About a half-dozen states have set their sights on mRNA-related legislation since the beginning of the year, including Iowa, Idaho, Montana, Florida, Texas and Kentucky. Some of these bills would limit COVID-19 vaccination requirements, while others seek to ban mRNA entirely or prohibit its use in children.
In Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis asked the CDC earlier this month to stop recommending mRNA COVID-19 vaccines for children, and tasked the state legislature with permanently prohibiting COVID-19 vaccine mandates. Florida was the first to issue guidance that the mRNA COVID shots may not be beneficial to children, and the state’s current prohibition against mandates from 2022 is due to expire June 1 without intervention. The governor’s statement voiced concern that schools could institute vaccine mandates after June 1.
“Experimental mRNA shots should not be recommended to children,” DeSantis’ press release stated.
At the heart of the issue in the state is the belief that mRNA technology affects DNA, causing “integration” of contaminated DNA, State Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo said in a letter to the FDA in 2024.
But vaccine makers say these concerns are misinformation.
“Technological breakthroughs often face initial concerns and skepticism. Legislative efforts to ban or restrict mRNA medicines in various states are largely driven by misunderstandings about their well-established safety profile and mechanism of action,” a Moderna spokesperson told PharmaVoice. “For example, while mRNA does not modify DNA, this misconception is frequently cited in support of such policies.”
The mRNA technology used in Moderna’s COVID vaccine teaches cells how to make a protein that triggers an immune response, prompting the cells to create antibodies as a tool against future infection, according to the CDC.
But other state legislators are voicing the same safety concerns as lawmakers in Florida..
In Iowa, lawmakers are taking an even more restrictive approach by advancing legislation that would ban the administration of mRNA vaccines and enforce a $500 fine for violations. The bill advanced in the legislature to a larger committee earlier this month.
A similar bill in Montana failed to gain traction and was voted down in the state house last month. In Kentucky, a bill that would have made it illegal to give children mRNA vaccines also appears to be dying without enough support.
Meanwhile, Idaho lawmakers are taking a crack at banning mRNA use until 2035, and one health district in the state has already decided to end administration of COVID mRNA shots altogether. Within the six counties making up the health district, COVID vaccine shots fell to just 93 toward the end of 2024, down from more than 8,000 in 2021, the AP reported in November.
While none of the bills have advanced very far, they do have the potential to chill vaccine makers and could signal more legislation ahead.
“If enacted, these measures could hinder important research and limit patient access to innovative treatments, potentially delaying life-changing medical advancements,” the Moderna spokesperson said.
Trump administration efforts
It’s not just states taking aim at mRNA. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a long-time vaccine skeptic and now secretary of HHS, once petitioned the FDA to rescind emergency authorization of the mRNA COVID vaccines. In his new role, Kennedy has authority to impact the nation’s vaccine policy, including schedules and the role of advisory committees.
One of Kennedy’s first tests will be the federal reaction to the bird flu epidemic, starting with a review of the $590 million government contract awarded to Moderna to speed up development of its mRNA influenza vaccines, including one for bird flu. U.S. health officials considered pulling back the funding, Bloomberg reported at the end of February.
In addition, the Trump administration is canceling grants to researchers studying vaccine mistrust and misinformation. A letter sent to two NIH researchers stated: “It is the policy of NIH not to prioritize research activities that focus gaining scientific knowledge on why individuals are hesitant to be vaccinated and/or explore ways to improve vaccine interest and commitment,” The Washington Post first reported.
Now, the NIH is urging scientists to remove mentions of mRNA from research grant applications, KFF Health reported this week.
