The US Department of Health and Human Services has terminated public health grants worth over $6 billion, including nearly $3 million for Metro Health’s immunization programs. The city of San Antonio will lose more than $1 million not spent to address COVID-19 health disparities among underserved communities.
Mayor Ron Nirenberg stated that the city needs to re-prioritize resources to address urgent needs despite federal funding cuts. Texas has lost $125.2 million overall, making it the third state in losses. Metro Health will cut 33 jobs due to grant cancellations, including five positions related to vaccine programs.
The federal effort is part of a Trump administration’s bid to claw back billions of dollars in public health grants from the COVID-19 pandemic. The US Department of Health and Human Services has filed a lawsuit along with 23 states and Washington D.C., claiming that the pandemic is over and taxpayers should not be wasting funds on it.
The city will now refer vaccine seekers to local providers, while Metro Health seeks alternative funding for its clinic.
Source: https://www.axios.com/local/san-antonio/2025/04/08/san-antonio-metro-health-vaccine-funds-trump-cuts