The U.S. government pays vaccine maker Moderna $176 million to develop a pandemic vaccine that may very well be used to treat bird flu in people as cases in dairy cows across the country proceed to rise, federal officials announced Tuesday.
The funds will likely be released through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and are intended to fund continued development of a vaccine using the identical mRNA technology that enabled rapid development and rollout of vaccines to guard against COVID-19. The award was made through the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), a program focused on medical treatments for potential pandemics.
Moderna will begin trials to check the protection and effectiveness of a vaccine that may very well be utilized in a strengthened response to a bird flu pandemic if needed.
The H5N1 virus was detected in dairy cows earlier this yr and has spread to greater than 135 herds in 12 states. So far, three people have been infected, all with mild symptoms. Federal health officials stress that the danger to the overall population stays low.
