Welcome to The Pulse, a weekly roundup of health-focused news. Each Thursday, we bring you updates on health policy, community surveys, new clinical studies, programs and services in Southwest and Southside Virginia.
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An analysis from the University of Virginia warned that increased scrutiny and declining funding for RNA-based vaccine research could jeopardize decades of biomedical progress.
Last year, the federal government began winding down mRNA vaccine development and canceled $500 million in funding for mRNA research under the federal Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority.
RNA, or ribonucleic acid, is a nucleic acid present in all living cells that shares structural similarities to DNA, according to the National Human Genome Institute. Scientists study several types of RNA, making it one of the most versatile molecules in biology, according to the institute.
Public awareness of RNA research surged during the COVID-19 pandemic, when scientists developed mRNA vaccines in record time.
Dr. Taison Bell with UVa Health led the analysis. Using publicly available data from the National Institutes of Health, Bell and his team examined current grants related to RNA. They identified 178 active grants awarded between 1997 and 2025, totaling $1.65 billion.
The largest share of funding supported virus-related research, with 75 grants totaling $968 million. Researchers also identified 46 grants focused on RNA technology, totaling $512 million, and 19 grants related to cancer research, totaling $75 million.
The study, published in JAMA, found that funding also supported research into HIV, hepatitis and highly contagious tropical viruses. COVID-19-related research accounted for 29 of the 75 vaccine-focused grants. However, the researchers noted that total RNA vaccine research funding remains far lower than the billions spent on COVID-19 hospitalizations.
“Our findings underscore the role of NIH funding in shaping RNA vaccine technology beyond COVID-19 to include other infectious and chronic diseases,” the research study read. “Funding decisions for RNA vaccine research needs scrutiny before potentially eliminating decades of progress.”
Virginia joins regional health coalition
Virginia has joined the Northeast Public Health Collaborative, a regional coalition of health agencies focused on emergency preparedness, vaccines, data collection, infectious diseases and epidemiology.
The coalition is meant to bring together resources and expertise in order to protect evidence-based public health practices. Several other states and local health departments have joined since it formed in September, including Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Boston and New York City.
“Threats to people’s health do not stop at state lines, and neither should our coordination. This partnership gives Virginia access to real time expertise and stronger regional alignment so we can better respond to outbreaks, keep routine vaccinations on track, and share critical information during emergencies,” said Secretary of Health and Human Resources Marvin Figueroa in a press release from the state. “Joining this collaborative ensures that Virginia remains proactive and prepared not just for today’s challenges, but for the ones we cannot yet see.”
Other health alliances similar to this one started forming late last year when the Trump administration made sweeping funding cuts and shifted guidance for certain vaccines.
The West Coast Health Alliance formed just weeks before the Northeast coalition.
The federal government is charged with providing guidance and recommendations for public health; states have the authority to follow the guidance or not.
Many Democratic-led states have pushed back on recent federal changes, particularly changes in COVID-19 recommendations. These alliances may help states pool resources in the future, but also serve as a symbolic gesture, pushing back against changes made by the Trump Administration, according to a report by KFF, a nonpartisan health policy research organization.