Moderna's leadership signaled cuts to investments in late‑stage infectious disease vaccine trials after facing political and public backlash in the U.S. Executives told media the company will focus resources where commercial and regulatory environments are more supportive. The retrenchment illustrates how politicized vaccine discourse and shifting policy priorities can alter private R&D portfolios. For the mRNA field, the pullback could slow progress on non‑covid infectious disease programs and reshape industry collaboration strategies for large late‑stage trials.