U.S. Pays $590 Million to Moderna to Speed up Development of Bird Flu Vaccine

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has committed $590 million to Moderna to accelerate the development of a bird flu vaccine. This effort builds on $176 million awarded last year and aims to advance late-stage development, clinical studies, and licensure of a "pandemic influenza vaccine" targeting H5N1 and other influenza subtypes.

 

With bird flu rapidly spreading among livestock and mammals, and 67 confirmed human cases—including one death—public health officials emphasize the unpredictability of the virus. The CDC recently issued an alert urging hospitals to prioritize testing for suspected infections, reinforcing the urgency of proactive measures to mitigate potential public health emergencies. Read more from NPR here.