Moderna is under fire from a UK watchdog for its methods of recruiting children for coronavirus booster trials.
Moderna, the US pharmaceutical giant, risks suspension or expulsion from the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) for allegedly violating industry regulations. These violations include reportedly offering children financial incentives and gifts like teddy bears to participate in Covid vaccine trials, according to The Telegraph.
Moderna, which became an ABPI member in 2023, is now subject to an audit that could lead to its suspension or expulsion. The Telegraph reports that a decision is expected soon. If sanctioned, Moderna would be the tenth company to be suspended by the ABPI in the last 40 years.
The UK’s Prescription Medicines Code of Practice Authority (PMCPA), which oversees drug regulations, has deemed Moderna’s lack of transparency “unacceptable,” stating that it harms the industry’s image.
In October 2024, Moderna was fined £14,000 ($17,850) after a WhatsApp message promising minors £1,500 ($1,872) to enroll in the NextCOVE Covid booster trial surfaced. The company later lowered the offer to £185 ($231), but at least one location continued to advertise the original amount. The PMCPA determined that the payment was “much higher than would be considered a reasonable reimbursement” and that it damaged the reputation of the pharmaceutical sector.
In a separate incident, Moderna received a fine of nearly £44,000 ($56,000) after the UK pharmaceutical regulator concluded that the company had harmed the industry’s reputation. In 2023, Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust published advertisements targeting children 12 and older, offering “a lovely certificate and a ‘be part of the research’ teddy bear.” Recruitment was also promoted in two online articles.
According to The Telegraph, a senior Moderna employee co-authored promotional articles, including one with former vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi, without revealing his affiliation with the company. This employee also posted promotional tweets without disclosing their position at Moderna.
The PMCPA stated that Moderna “misled regulators” concerning when it became aware of the breaches. While the company claimed to have acted swiftly after being notified in January 2024, evidence indicated that executives were informed by UsForThem in August 2023.
Molly Kingsley, founder of UsForThem, told the newspaper that the findings demonstrated “how readily [Moderna] put profit ahead of the health and safety of children” and “laid bare just how little regard it has had for the regulatory system that was supposed to keep it honest.”
Health authorities note that COVID-19 vaccines, including Moderna’s Spikevax, can cause side effects in minors, such as pain at the injection site, fatigue, headache, fever, and, in rare instances, myocarditis or pericarditis.
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