Aug 13 (Reuters) - Vaxart ( VXRT ) said on Wednesday it

received an order to stop work on screening and enrollment for

its COVID-19 mid-stage trial, joining multiple biotech companies

that have lost government funding for their vaccine programs.

The drug developer said it will keep working on its oral

COVID-19 vaccine by monitoring participants already in the

trial, but it will stop new enrollment.

The order is part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human

Services decision to wind down mRNA vaccine development

activities under its biomedical research unit.

The unit, Biomedical Advanced Research and Development

Authority, helps companies develop medical supplies to address

public health threats, and had provided billions of dollars for

development of vaccines during the COVID pandemic.

This is the latest development under U.S. Health Secretary

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a long-time vaccine skeptic who has been

making sweeping changes to reshape vaccines, food and medicine

policies.

Kennedy said the HHS is terminating these programs because

data show these vaccines "fail to protect effectively against

upper respiratory infections like COVID and flu," but did not

offer scientific evidence.

Vaxart's ( VXRT ) project award was valued at up to $453 million,

which included an upfront $65.7 million and up to $387.2 million

in milestone payments.

The milestone payment was dependent on whether BARDA

determines that the study may further proceed.