Hello and welcome to the details of US grants Moderna US$590m to fast-track mRNA bird flu vaccine amid pandemic fears and now with the details
Nevin Al Sukari - Sana'a - So far, 55 human cases of H5N1 bird flu, including in a child, have been reported in the United States this year, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. — Reuters file pic
WASHINGTON, Jan 19 — US health officials announced on Friday that they were awarding US$590 million to Moderna to develop mRNA vaccines against influenza, including advancing the company's bird flu vaccine, as fears of a new pandemic grow.
The funding will help Moderna "enhance mRNA platform capabilities so that the US is better prepared to respond to other emerging infectious diseases," the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) said in a statement.
The money "allows Moderna to accelerate development of an H5N1 mRNA influenza vaccine that is well matched to strains currently circulating in cows and birds."
This is in addition to the US$176 million Moderna was awarded in July 2024.
And on Thursday the US government announced US$211 million in new funding for a consortium of private and public laboratories to develop messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines against emerging bio-threats.
Past bird flu variants have been unpredictable and dangerous to humans.
"That is why this response has been a top priority for the Biden-Harris Administration and HHS," said the department's secretary, Xavier Becerra, referring to outgoing President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.
The H5N1 virus is common in wild birds and other animals. While it has not conclusively been found to spread from person to person, the amount of bird flu circulating among animals and humans has alarmed scientists.
Many experts fear that H5N1, coupled with seasonal flu, could mutate into a more contagious form and trigger a deadly pandemic.
So far, 67 people in the United States have been infected with avian influenza since the outbreak began last year.
The first death from the US outbreak was recorded early this month, an elderly man in Louisiana.
The new funding comes as Donald Trump prepares to assume the US presidency on January 20. The Republican has nominated Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a vaccine skeptic, to head HHS, and he has promised to reform the department. — AFP
These were the details of the news US grants Moderna US$590m to fast-track mRNA bird flu vaccine amid pandemic fears for this day. We hope that we have succeeded by giving you the full details and information. To follow all our news, you can subscribe to the alerts system or to one of our different systems to provide you with all that is new.
It is also worth noting that the original news has been published and is available at Malay Mail and the editorial team at AlKhaleej Today has confirmed it and it has been modified, and it may have been completely transferred or quoted from it and you can read and follow this news from its main source.
