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| The US has awarded additional funding to Moderna to improve the quality of its mRNA flu vaccine. (Source: Bloomberg) |
In a statement, HHS said the additional funding, following a $176 million grant last July, will help Moderna improve the quality of its mRNA vaccines so that the U.S. is better prepared to respond to other emerging infectious diseases, including accelerating the development of an mRNA vaccine for H5N1 influenza, which is expected to protect against strains currently circulating in cows and birds.
The move comes amid growing concerns about a new pandemic.
HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra pointed out that it is impossible to predict all mutations of the avian influenza virus, as well as their virulence and danger to humans. That is why the current US administration and HHS prioritize the development of mRNA vaccines against influenza.
Previously, on January 17, the US Government also announced a new grant worth 211 million USD for a group of private and public laboratories to develop mRNA vaccines to prevent emerging biological threats.
The H5N1 virus is common in wild birds and other animals. Although there is no firm evidence of human-to-human transmission, the increasing number of avian influenza viruses circulating in animals and humans has many scientists concerned. They worry that H5N1, combined with seasonal flu, could mutate into a more contagious form and cause a deadly pandemic.
Since the outbreak of bird flu last year, 67 people in the United States have been infected with the virus. The United States recorded its first death from bird flu earlier this month, an elderly man in Louisiana.
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