Author: Michelle Roberts

The US government has invested $176 million in Moderna to develop an mRNA-based pandemic influenza vaccine to combat bird flu, aiming to be more prepared for health crises following the lessons learned from Covid. While bird flu currently poses little threat to humans, experts advocate for a fast-acting vaccine in case the virus mutates and becomes a problem. Utilizing mRNA technology, which Moderna’s Covid jab is also based on, allows for quicker vaccine production, enhancing the government’s ability to respond swiftly to bird flu outbreaks. The funding will support the late-stage development and testing of Moderna’s vaccine against H5N1 avian…