• Posted March 11, 2025

NIH Cuts Funding for Studies on Vaccine Hesitancy and Acceptance

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is cutting or canceling more than 40 grants focused on vaccine hesitancy and ways to increase vaccine acceptance, according to an email obtained by The Washington Post.

The message — sent Monday by Michelle Bulls, director of the Office of Policy for Extramural Research Administration — directed staff to terminate funding immediately. It said the research no longer aligns with agency priorities, according to The Post.

The email spelled out specific language to be used in the termination notice: “It is the policy of NIH not to prioritize research activities that focuses gaining scientific knowledge on why individuals are hesitant to be vaccinated and/or explore ways to improve vaccine interest and commitment. … Therefore, the award is terminated.”

The move dovetails with new leadership at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). New HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has long questioned vaccine safety and has promoted scientifically debunked claims linking vaccines to autism. 

It's unclear if Kennedy played a direct role in the decision, but his appointment has unsettled the medical research community.

Experts warn the funding cuts come at a critical time. The U.S. has reported 222 measles cases across 12 states this year, with vaccination rates among kindergartners declining since 2019. One child has died from measles and another death is under investigation, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Researcher Manoj Sharma had a CDC grant that ended last year to evaluate vaccine hesitancy and told The Post  that the current outbreak underscores the importance of continued research. 

“There is an urgent need to enhance vaccine acceptance behavior, especially due to the potential resurgence of measles and COVID-19 still looming,” said Sharma, a professor of social and behavioral health at the University of Nevada at Las Vegas.

Delesha Carpenter, a researcher at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, has spent three years studying COVID vaccine hesitancy through a previous NIH grant. 

She fears the termination of research will limit efforts to provide the public with reliable vaccine information.

“If we take away research on vaccine hesitancy, we’re also going to be taking away the ability to provide people with the best information about whether the vaccine is in their best interest,” Carpenter said. “They still have the decision to make.”

The NIH is also reducing funding for research on transgender issues, diversity and inclusion and Chinese universities.

The Post reported that internal documents showed that last week, grants management staffers received guidance on how to terminate funding in these areas.

More information

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has more on grants.

SOURCE: The Washington Post, March 10, 2025