The US government has signed a $176 million deal with Moderna to develop an mRNA-based pandemic influenza vaccine, as reports emerge of a fifth human case of H5N1 flu linked to ongoing outbreaks in poultry and dairy cows.The award from the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) will be used to accelerate the development of pandemic flu vaccines, according to Moderna, and specifically “support late-stage development for an mRNA-based vaccine to enable the licensure of a pre-pandemic vaccine against H5 influenza virus.”
