The Department of Health and Human Services just canceled its contract with Moderna to develop a vaccine for bird flu, a virus that has already killed over 173 million birds, spread to mammals, and infected dozens of humans in the U.S.

The decision throws out $175 million in taxpayer investments and strips the government of its ability to purchase vaccine doses in advance of a pandemic.

This is a reckless retreat from science and strategy, fueled by Health Secretary RFK Jr.’s long-standing, conspiracy-laced opposition to mRNA vaccines.

Worse, the cancellation couldn’t come at a more dangerous time. The bird flu virus, H5N1, is no longer confined to poultry farms. It has already spread to dairy cattle in 17 states, infected dozens of farmworkers, and even claimed a human life.

Public health experts are raising alarm bells not because this virus might become a pandemic, but because it has shown it can. Influenza viruses are notorious for mutating fast, and every jump from animal to human increases the risk that H5N1 could acquire the ability to spread efficiently between people. If that happens and we’re caught without a vaccine in hand, the consequences could be catastrophic.

The point of pandemic preparedness is to act before the crisis hits. Instead, HHS is dismantling our most promising defense while the virus continues to evolve.

It’s not too late to change course. RFK Jr. previously reversed his opposition to the measles vaccine after public outrage. Now we need that same pressure again.

Click ‘START WRITING’ to sign and send a direct message to HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. demanding HHS reinstate the Moderna contract immediately and restore full funding for a bird flu vaccine to protect public health and maintain critical pandemic preparedness now.