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Please note!
This fact brief was originally published as an experiment to test the concepts behind fact briefs.
Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of useful information in fact briefs like this one, not all of them reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.
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FACT BRIEF

Has Moderna failed to disclose required information about funding for its COVID-19 vaccine?

By Laura Brickman
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YES

A consumer watchdog group, Public Citizen, says Moderna Inc. has not met some disclosure requirements under its U.S. government contract to develop a coronavirus vaccine. It is asking the funding agency to enforce contractual requirements to disclose the level of non-government funding in the project.

Moderna acknowledges $955 million in federal support, but has not provided details about other funding sources. The company will receive an additional $1.525 billion for 100 million doses if the vaccine is effective.

Other unspecified support from government and nonprofit research institutions is acknowledged in a recent New England Journal of Medicine report on the trial, including money from a Vanderbilt University fund established by singer Dolly Parton.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
Public Citizen: Letter to BARDA on enforcing Moderna disclosure requirements
Google Drive: Moderna/BARDA vaccine trial contract
Moderna: Update on COVID-19 vaccine trials
New England Journal of Medicine: Preliminary report on an mRNA vaccine against SARS-CoV-2
Washington Post: Dolly Parton helped fund Moderna’s vaccine
ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTOR
Gigafact
Between 2020 and 2022, under close editorial supervision, Gigafact contracted a group of freelance writers and editors to test the concepts for fact briefs and provide inputs to our software development process. We call this effort Gigafact Foundry. Over the course of these two years, Gigafact Foundry writers published over 1500 fact briefs in response to claims they found online. Their important work forms the basis of Gigafact formats and editorial guidelines, and is available to the public on Gigafact.org. Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of relevant information to be found, not all fact briefs produced by Gigafact Foundry reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date and need to be looked at with fresh eyes, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.
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About fact briefs published on Gigafact
Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.