US Paying Moderna $176 Million For Bird Flu Jab
By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
WASHINGTON (Worthy News) – The United States said Tuesday it would pay vaccine maker Moderna, known for COVID-19 jabs, $176 million to accelerate developing “a pandemic influenza vaccine” to treat bird flu in people.
Federal officials said Tuesday’s announcement came as concern grows about cases in dairy cows nationwide.
Experts say Moderna already has a bird flu vaccine in very early-stage testing that uses the same mRNA technology that enabled the rapid creation and rollout of vaccines to protect against COVID-19.
The new funds from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services include the development of the vaccine, such as a late-stage trial next year if early study results are positive.
U.S. officials say the project can be quickly redirected to target another form of influenza if a threat different from the H5N1 bird flu emerges.
Yet the decision comes despite concerns among critical doctors and others about reported side effects of previous COVID-19 vaccinations.
However, Moderna and other vaccine makers argue that their work has “saved millions of lives.”
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