No. It was very much on its technical merit. This was an innovative, plant-based technology. Most vaccines are developed off of eggs. Of course, we now have mRNA, but having additional options.... We can't imagine what that will mean for us. While we don't need Medicago right now, this innovative technology could very well save countless lives in the future. We do not know the direction of this pandemic, future pandemics or other viral threats, so having more options at our disposal is excellent.
However, the technical, scientific merit of Medicago was present, as evidenced by the fact that they manifested a viable vaccine.