The US has announced it will pay Moderna $176m to accelerate development of a pandemic influenza vaccine that could treat bird flu in people, as concern grows about cases in dairy cows across the US.
Moderna already has a bird flu vaccine in very early-stage testing that uses the same mRNA technology used in the rapid development and rollout of vaccines against Covid-19. The new funds from the Department of Health and Human Services include continued development of the vaccine, and a late-stage trial next year if those early study results are positive.
But the project can be quickly redirected to target another form of influenza if a different threat from the H5N1 form of bird flu emerges, HHS officials said.
The award was made through the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, or BARDA, a programme that focuses on medical treatments for potential pandemics.
The H5N1 virus was detected earlier this year in dairy cows and has spread to more than 135 herds in 12 states and infected three people to date, all with mild cases. Federal health officials stress that the risk to the wider population remains low.
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