The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has abruptly terminated funding for more than 40 grants focused on vaccine hesitancy and acceptance strategies, according to internal communications obtained by The Washington Post. The directive, issued in March 2025, instructed staff to immediately cut funding for research that aims to understand why individuals decline vaccinations or explores methods to improve vaccine uptake.
The termination notice explicitly stated: "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."
Widespread Research Disruption
The impact extends far beyond the initial 40 grants mentioned, with reports indicating that approximately 300 vaccine-related projects have been affected as part of a larger cancellation of over 1,600 research grants since January 20, 2025. This represents one of the most significant areas targeted by recent funding cuts.
Researchers across the country have expressed shock at the simultaneous termination of their work. Dr. Melissa Stockwell, chief of child and adolescent health at Columbia University, had been leading a study on using text messages to increase flu and COVID vaccine rates in children. Her team had already invested nearly $1 million in setting up the project.
"What made it particularly devastating was that it wasn't only my grant, but it was this community of researchers across the country," Stockwell noted. "It was all happening to us simultaneously."
Public Health Implications
The funding cuts coincide with troubling public health trends. The U.S. has reported 222 measles cases across 12 states this year, with vaccination rates among kindergartners declining steadily since 2019. One child has died from measles, with another death under investigation, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
A recent study published in the journal Vaccine found that approximately one in five U.S. parents express hesitancy about vaccines. Meanwhile, cases of measles, influenza, and whooping cough continue to rise nationwide.
Dr. Manoj Sharma, a professor at the University of Nevada at Las Vegas who previously conducted CDC-funded research on vaccine hesitancy, emphasized the timing concerns: "There is an urgent need to enhance vaccine acceptance behavior, especially due to the potential resurgence of measles and COVID-19 still looming."
Expert Warnings
In a viewpoint published in JAMA, three pediatricians—Dr. Douglas Opel, Dr. Sean O'Leary, and Dr. Melissa Stockwell—warned that the cuts could have dangerous consequences.
"The lives of individuals in the U.S. are at stake," they wrote.
Dr. O'Leary, a pediatrician at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, explained the significance of current disease trends: "We think of measles as the canary in the coal mine of vaccine-preventable diseases, because it's so contagious that it's the first one when you see immunization coverage in general drop. It's the first one you're going to see pop up."
Dr. Delesha Carpenter, a researcher at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill who has spent three years studying COVID vaccine hesitancy through a previous NIH grant, expressed concern about the broader implications: "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."
Policy Shift Context
The funding terminations align with leadership changes at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). New HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has historically questioned vaccine safety and promoted claims linking vaccines to autism—connections that have been scientifically debunked.
While it remains unclear if Kennedy played a direct role in the decision to cut vaccine hesitancy research funding, his appointment has created significant concern within the medical research community.
The NIH has defended the cuts, stating in termination letters that the "NIH is obligated to carefully steward grant awards to ensure taxpayer dollars are used in ways that benefit the American people."
Economic Considerations
Public health experts point to the economic efficiency of vaccination programs. According to the organization Vaccinate Your Family, every dollar spent on childhood vaccines saves approximately $10 in future health costs.
Dr. Opel, whose research on building vaccine confidence in Native American and Alaska Native communities was terminated, expressed dismay at the policy shift: "It's just absolutely unequivocal how important and beneficial vaccines are to the American public."
Broader Research Impact
Beyond vaccine hesitancy studies, the NIH is also reducing funding for research on transgender issues, diversity and inclusion, and collaborations with Chinese universities, according to internal documents reported by The Washington Post.
As preventable disease outbreaks continue to emerge, the scientific community remains concerned about the long-term public health implications of abandoning research aimed at understanding and addressing vaccine hesitancy in vulnerable populations.
