Category: Flu Vaccine

WORKERS AT POULTRY and fur farms in Finland will, in the coming days, receive vaccines against bird flu. Fourteen other EU countries have signed up to procure bird-flu vaccines through a programme set up by the European Commission. Americas government has also bought vaccines in anticipation of a pandemic. And it recently commissioned Moderna, a pharmaceutical company, to create an mRNA bird-flu vaccine using a technology that was effective in protecting against covid-19. So why are countries vaccinating people against bird flu?

The illness is also called avian flu or highly pathogenic avian influenza. The usual carriers are wild waterfowl; when these birds migrate, so does the virus. It is easily transmitted to domestic poultry and is highly contagious and deadly for them. Usually it is rare for bird flu to infect mammals, including humans. But the strain of the virus that is currently circulating, H5N1, has infected hundreds of mammals. This spring it was found in dairy cows in Texas. It has since been found in dairy herds in at least 12 American states. With each mammal that is infected, there is a possibility that the virus mutates, allowing it to jump to humans more easily.

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Why Finland and others are vaccinating people against bird flu - The Economist

A researcher works in the lab at the Moderna Inc. headquarters in Cambridge, Massachusetts, US, on Tuesday, March 26, 2024.

Adam Glanzman | Bloomberg | Getty Images

The U.S. government has awarded $176 million to Moderna to advance development of its bird flu vaccine, the company said on Tuesday, as concerns rise over a multi-state outbreak of H5N1 virus in dairy cows and infections of three dairy workers since March.

The funds from the U.S. Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority will be used to complete late-stage development and testing of a pre-pandemic mRNA-based vaccine against H5N1 avian influenza, the company said in a statement.

The agreement also includes additional options to prepare and accelerate a response to future public health threats, the company said.

In March, U.S. officials reported the first outbreak of the H5N1 virus in dairy cattle, which has since infected more than 130 herds in 12 states.

Scientists are concerned that exposure to the virus in poultry and dairy operations could increase the risk that the virus will mutate and gain the ability to spread easily among people, touching off a pandemic.

Last year, Moderna started a safety and immunogenicity study of its bird flu vaccine called mRNA-1018 in healthy adults aged 18 and older. That study included both the H5 subtype of bird flu that is currently circulating in dairy cattle, as well as the H7 bird flu subtype.

Results of that study are expected this year and will be used to map out late-stage development plans, the company said.

Moderna's vaccine uses mRNA, or messenger RNA, the technology in its COVID-19 shot.

"mRNA vaccine technology offers advantages in efficacy, speed of development and production, scalability, and reliability in addressing infectious disease outbreaks, as demonstrated during the COVID-19 pandemic," Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel said in a statement.

Manufacturing of conventional flu vaccines using cell or egg-based technology can take four to six months. U.S. officials have said they were moving bulk vaccine from CSL Seqirus that closely matches the current virus into finished shots that could provide 4.8 million doses if needed.

Those doses would potentially be used to inoculate farm workers and others at risk of exposure to the virus. For the general public, U.S. and global health officials say the risk from bird flu remains low.

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U.S. awards Moderna $176 million to produce bird flu vaccine - CNBC

FILE PHOTO: A vial and sryinge are seen in front of a displayed Moderna logo in this illustration taken January 11, 2021. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo

The U.S. government will pay the vaccine maker Moderna $176 million to develop a pandemic vaccine that could be used to treat bird flu in people as cases in dairy cows continue to mount across the country, federal officials announced Tuesday.

The funds are targeted for release through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and will pay for continued development of a vaccine that uses the same mRNA technology that allowed rapid development and rollout of vaccines to protect against COVID-19. The award was made through the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, or BARDA, a program that focuses on medical treatments for potential pandemics.

WATCH: Senators press Moderna CEO on COVID-19 vaccine price increases

Moderna will launch trials to test the safety and effectiveness of a vaccine that could be used to scale up a response to a bird flu pandemic, if needed.

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.

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

Left: FILE PHOTO: A vial and sryinge are seen in front of a displayed Moderna logo in this illustration taken January 11, 2021. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo

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U.S. government will pay Moderna $176 million to develop an mRNA bird flu pandemic vaccine - PBS NewsHour

Mass. doctor on why Boston-based Moderna is developing a bird flu vaccine

Updated: 5:51 PM EDT Jul 2, 2024

30 YEARS AGO, A BOSTON COMPANY WILL GET $170 MILLION TO DEVELOP TO DEVELOP A BIRD FLU VACCINE. MODERNA SAYS IT WILL USE THE SAME MRNA TECHNOLOGY USED TO PRODUCE SHOTS FOR COVID 19. HERE TO TALK ABOUT THIS, DOCTOR SHIRA DORON, THE CHIEF INFECTION CONTROL OFFICER FOR TUFTS MEDICINE HEALTH SYSTEM, WHICH IS WHY YOURE THE PERSON TO ASK THIS OF HEALTH OFFICIALS ARE TRYING TO CONTAIN THIS OUTBREAK. DOCTOR, A BIRD FLU THATS ALREADY INFECTED AT LEAST 130 HERDS OF DAIRY COWS IN 12 STATES. WHAT CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THE NUMBER OF HUMAN CASES YOU KNOW, WE THINK THAT DAIRY COW INFECTIONS MAY HAVE BEEN GOING ON LONGER THAN WE REALIZED AS FAR BACK AS DECEMBER OR JANUARY, AND YET, THANKFULLY, THERE HAVE BEEN ONLY THREE REPORTED HUMAN INFECTIONS ASSOCIATED WITH THE VIRUS. ALL THREE HAD MILD INFECTION. ALL OF THEM HAD CLOSE CONTACT WITH COWS, AND NONE TRANSMITTED IT TO OTHER HUMANS, INCLUDING THE PEOPLE IN THEIR HOUSEHOLD. NOW WERE PROBABLY MISSING SOME OTHER MILD HUMAN CASES, BUT STILL, THOSE STATISTICS ARE PRETTY REASSURING. THEY ARE SO IT SOUNDS LIKE THE INFECTION RISK AMONG PEOPLE IS LOW. WHY IS THE GOVERNMENT SPENDING MILLIONS NOW TO DEVELOP THIS VACCINE? YOU KNOW, COVID TAUGHT THE WORLD THAT VIRUSES, GENETIC CODE MUTATES AND FLU IS A NOTORIOUS MUTATOR. THE RISK TO PEOPLE WHO DO NOT WORK WITH CATTLE AND POULTRY IS LOW TODAY, BUT MUTATIONS IN THE VIRUSS GENETIC CODE COULD MAKE IT BETTER SUITED TO INFECT PEOPLE TO SPREAD BETWEEN PEOPLE, OR COULD EVEN MAKE IT MORE LETHAL TO PEOPLE. AND THOSE CHANGES WOULD GIVE IT PANDEMIC POTENTIAL THAT IT DOES NOT HAVE TODAY. AND FOR ALL THOSE REASONS, WE NEED TO BE PREPARED WITH VACCINES AND TREATMENTS. SO ARE YOU TRYING TO GET AHEAD OF IT? YEAH. SO WHILE THIS OUTBREAK CONTINUES, SHOULD PEOPLE AVOID CONTACT WITH FARMS AND BIRD FEEDERS JUST TO BE SAFE? WHATS YOUR ADVICE? THE MOST IMPORTANT ADVICE FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC AROUND THIS IS ONE STAY AWAY FROM RAW, UNPASTEURIZED MILK. PASTEURIZATION DOES MAKE THE MILK FROM INFECTED COWS SAFE. AVOID HANDLING SICK OR DEAD ANIMALS IN THE WILD. IF YOU HAVE TO WEAR GLOVES, WASH YOUR HANDS VERY WELL. AFTERWARD. PEOPLE WITH BACKYARD BIRD FEEDERS OR CHICKENS SHOULD PAY SPECIAL ATTENTION TO HANDWASHING AS WELL. FARM WORKERS SHOULD USE PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT WHEN THEYRE HANDLING OR DEALING WITH ANY ANIMALS KNOWN TO BE PART OF THIS OUTBREAK, LIKE COWS, CHICKENS AND ALPACA. GREAT ADVICE, DOCTOR DORON, AL

Mass. doctor on why Boston-based Moderna is developing a bird flu vaccine

Updated: 5:51 PM EDT Jul 2, 2024

Dr. Shira Doron, the Chief Infection Control Officer for Tufts Medicine health system, explains why the government would want to invest millions in development of a bird flu vaccine for humans.

Dr. Shira Doron, the Chief Infection Control Officer for Tufts Medicine health system, explains why the government would want to invest millions in development of a bird flu vaccine for humans.

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Mass. doctor on why Boston-based Moderna is developing a bird flu vaccine - WCVB Boston

The U.S. government will pay the vaccine maker Moderna $176 million to develop a pandemic vaccine that could be used to treat bird flu in people as cases in dairy cows continue to mount across the country, federal officials announced Tuesday.

The funds are targeted for release through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and will pay for continued development of a vaccine that uses the same mRNA technology that allowed rapid development and rollout of vaccines to protect against COVID-19. The award was made through the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, or BARDA, a program that focuses on medical treatments for potential pandemics.

Moderna will launch trials to test the safety and effectiveness of a vaccine that could be used to scale up a response to a bird flu pandemic, if needed.

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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U.S. government will give Moderna $176 million to develop bird flu vaccine - Fortune

Moderna received federal funding to accelerate development of a new bird flu vaccine using the same mRNA technology as their COVID-19 vaccine. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill, File)

Moderna will receive $176 million to develop a pandemic flu vaccine for humans following a concerning outbreak of bird flu in dairy cows across the country, federal officials announced Tuesday.

We have successfully taken lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic and used them to better prepare for future public health crises, said Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra said in an announcement Tuesday. As part of that, we continue to develop new vaccines and other tools to help address influenza and bolster our pandemic response capabilities.

The federal money will go to the late-stage development of an mRNA-based vaccine for influenza using similar technology as the COVID-19 vaccine and to accelerate responses to similar future public health threats, Moderna said Tuesday. The company already has development of the vaccine in the works, and development could move to a late-stage trial next year if early results are positive.

The bird flu, a H5N1 variant of influenza, is a highly infectious form of the viral infection. A multistate outbreak of the virus was first reported in late March, the CDC stated, the first time bird flu viruses have been found in cows.

According to the latest CDC data, 12 states have now had outbreaks of bird flu in 136 total herds of cattle. There have been three reported cases of bird flu spreading to humans since the outbreak.

The CDC has maintained the position that the current risk to the general public from bird flu viruses is low, though the geographic spread of the dairy cow infection could create additional opportunities for people to be exposed to these viruses. Mammal to mammal spread of the virus is thought to be rare.

Mammals can contract the illness if they eat infected birds, poultry, or other animals and/or if they are exposed to environments contaminated with virus, the CDC states.

The federal vaccine funding is coming through HHSs Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, or BARDA, a program focused on developing countermeasures for public health threats. The HHS release stated the funding will also help support a fair pricing agreement which will continue ensuring enduring equitable access to vaccines.

The mRNA technology used to develop the COVID-19 vaccine offers advantages in efficacy, speed of development, and production scalability and reliability, Moderna Chief Executive Officer Stphane Bancel said Tuesday.

The company began collecting safety and other data on the vaccine in healthy adults 18 years of age and older in 2023, the company said. Results are expected in 2024 and will inform Phase 3 development plans, Moderna added.

Federal officials stressed the development of the vaccine technology allows for a more rapid response to potential new threats.

Adding this technology to our pandemic flu toolkit enhances our ability to be nimble and quick against the circulating strains and their potential variants, said Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response Dawn OConnell.

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Moderna receives $176M to accelerate development of pandemic bird flu vaccine as concerns grow - Boston Herald

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Moderna gets U.S. contract to develop bird flu vaccine - Food & Environment Reporting Network

Moderna will employ the same mRNA vaccine technology that was pioneered to develop COVID-19 vaccines.

In the ongoing waves of bird flu outbreaks, with the virus spreading to more than 141 herds in 12 states, the risk of another full-blown pandemic like COVID-19 is becoming a distinct possibility. In preparation for just such a disaster, the U.S. government will pay pharmaceutical company Moderna $176 million to develop a vaccine that protects against the H5N1 virus. Moderna will employ the same mRNA vaccine technology that was pioneered to develop COVID-19 vaccines in 2020, as well as the booster shots that have followed.

Moderna is already in the early stages of testing its new mRNA vaccine, meaning that it will be receiving supplementary funds for that research from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The award was made through an agency organization called the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, or BARDA.

We have successfully taken lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic and used them to better prepare for future public health crises. As part of that, we continue to develop new vaccines and other tools to help address influenza and bolster our pandemic response capabilities, HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra said in a statement. Importantly, we are doing this work in partnership with some of the nations leading scientists and clinicians. The Biden-Harris Administration wont stop until we have everything we need to prepare for pandemics and other public health emergencies that impact the American public.

Because influenza strains are closely related to each other, the scientists can pivot from the avian flu to a different type of flu if a separate and more serious outbreak emerges. The current concern, however, is about the H5N1 virus. The strain has been virulent across U.S. dairy farms in 2024, even infecting three people, although they all had relatively mild cases. From a medical perspective, the biggest concern about the current bird flu strain is that it can spread from birds to mammals. This suggests that it can not only be transmitted to humans, but is capable of evolving to be particularly infectious.

The bovine situation is a step up from this, just due to how widespread the virus is, and how many people have exposure to cattle (compared to small mink farms or remote sea lion colonies), Dr. Tom Peacock, a virologist at Imperial College London and the Pirbright Institute, told Salon in June. This clearly represents a much larger human-animal interface than the other examples.

The disease risks to humans from industrialized intensive animal farming are enormous, the study says.

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US Pays Moderna $176 Million to Develop Bird Flu Vaccine Amid Waves of Outbreaks - Truthout

The agreement will ensure fair pricing for American consumers, one federal official told Bloomberg on Tuesday. Modernas stock price climbed just shy of 1 percent on the news Tuesday.

Moderna is Massachusetts largest homegrown drug maker, with more than 4,400 employees in the state as of late 2023.

The vaccine relies on messenger RNA, or mRNA, to stimulate immunity, in a fashion similar to the COVID-19 vaccines produced by Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech. Moderna recently obtained US regulatory approval of its vaccine for respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, in older adults the companys first mRNA vaccine cleared for a disease other than COVID.

Moderna president Stephen Hoge told Bloomberg in March that the company sees bird flu as a clear threat.

The current strain of bird flu, or H5N1, surged in the United States earlier this year. Though the viruss effect on wild bird populations is well documented and was seen in New England as early as 2022 researchers are concerned about transmission to mammals and, potentially, to humans.

Last year, the highly-pathogenic virus was responsible for the deaths of tens of thousands of seals and sea lions off the coast of South America. In March, it was reported that American livestock were contracting the disease, worsening fears of interspecies transmission.

So far, though, only three people are known to have been infected with the virus in the United States, all of them dairy workers who likely caught it from diseased cows. There have been no reports of human-to-human transmission, and the risk to the general population is considered low, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Scientists have also voiced concern over another strain of the virus, H5N2, which led to the death of a 59-year-old man in Mexico in early June. That was the first recorded H5N2 case in humans, according to the World Health Organization. Although the source of transmission is currently unknown, the new strain is not yet considered a serious threat to humans by WHO.

The vaccine deal is welcome news for Moderna, which has seen a steep decline in sales of its COVID-19 vaccine, Spikevax. That vaccine made Moderna a household name, but investors have grown anxious over the prospects of the company, particularly after a dismal first-quarter earnings report.

Since then, the company has secured regulatory approval for its vaccine for RSV, a common and potentially deadly seasonal virus. In addition, Moderna recently announced that its combination flu and COVID shot met the goals of a pivotal late-stage trial, bringing the company one step closer to a more convenient jab that could help combat vaccine fatigue.

The federal government is also pursuing the development of other influenza vaccine candidates, including two traditional vaccines that are tailored to H5N1. Bloomberg reported that the United States is likely eyeing another contract, potentially with Pfizer, to develop an mRNA-based flu vaccine.

Material from Globe wires and previous Globe coverage was used in this report.

Camilo Fonseca can be reached at camilo.fonseca@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @fonseca_esq and Instagram @camilo_fonseca.reports.

Excerpt from:

Moderna inks deal with US government to fund trial of bird flu vaccine - The Boston Globe

(Precision Vaccinations News)

In the past two years, H5 influenza virus subtypes have caused severe disease in birds and mammals in the United States. Because of various media reports, there is concern about the risk of theseviruses spreading to humans, which could generate another pandemic.

On June 27, 2024, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed that the risk to people is very low. However, the U.S. government continues its multi-year effort to prepare for this risk.

Moderna, Inc.today announced a project award of $176 million to accelerate the development of mRNA-based pandemic influenza vaccines. The award program is within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

The project award will support the late-stage development of an mRNA-based vaccine to enable the licensure of a pre-pandemic vaccine against the H5 influenza virus.

This new HHS agreement also includes additional options to prepare and accelerate responses to future public health threats.

"mRNA vaccine technology offers advantages in efficacy, speed of development, and production scalability and reliability in addressing infectious disease outbreaks, as demonstrated during the COVID-19 pandemic," said Stphane Bancel, Chief Executive Officer of Moderna, in a press release on July 2, 2024.

In July 2023, Moderna initiated aPhase 1/2 studyto generate safety and immunogenicity data for the investigational pandemic influenza vaccine (mRNA-1018) in healthy adults. The study includes vaccine candidates against H5 and H7 avian influenza viruses.

Results from the study are expected in 2024 and will inform Phase 3 development plans.

Currently, there are U.S. FDA-approved pandemic vaccines(Audenz) and various development initiatives underway, funded by the U.S. government.

Furthermore, the CDC has confirmed annual flu shots may not be effective against these influenza subtypes.

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$176 Million Awarded for Another Pandemic Influenza Vaccine Precision Vaccinations News - Precision Vaccinations