Moderna is getting $54 million to develop a bird flu vaccine after the U.S. government canceled a much larger contract. The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations will fund a phase three trial for Moderna’s H5 bird flu vaccine.
The Department of Health and Human Services canceled a $760 million contract with Moderna in May. The new funding will support the first mRNA vaccine for pandemic influenza to reach pivotal trials.
Unlike traditional flu vaccines that take months to develop, mRNA vaccines can be designed in hours or days. The goal is to create vaccines within 100 days of a new pandemic threat.
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"Pandemic influenza remains one of the greatest threats to global health security," said Dr. Richard Hatchett, CEO of CEPI. "With this partnership, we are not just advancing vaccine science, we are fundamentally changing the game. By harnessing the speed and adaptability of mRNA technology, we could shave months off the response time, deliver vaccines at scale, and enable equitable access for all. This is how we plan to protect the world from the next flu pandemic."
In 2024, the World Health Organization launched a new initiative intended to introduce a new human avian influenza vaccine using the same technology that helped develop COVID-19 vaccines.
Officials express concern that the avian flu can cause a significant public health risk and could be the cause of a future pandemic. The WHO said that having a bird flu vaccine studied and readily available reduces the likelihood of a future pandemic.
But the Trump administration has expressed skepticism toward the effectiveness of mRNA vaccines. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said that HHS would use funds intended to research mRNA vaccines in other areas.
“Let me be absolutely clear: HHS supports safe, effective vaccines for every American who wants them. That’s why we’re moving beyond the limitations of mRNA and investing in better solutions,” said Kennedy.
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Some, however, say the decision was shortsighted.
"It’s worth noting that these vaccines were designed and were being developed within a matter of weeks, before the pandemic was even named a pandemic. The speed with which these things can be developed is hugely important because in a pandemic, every day counts. This is the best way we currently have of making vaccines quickly, based upon decades of research, much of which was funded by the National Institutes of Health. Exactly the sort of research which has now been cut," Bill Hanage, professor of epidemiology at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, said in response to the HHS cuts.
Moderna has pledged to reserve 20% of production for low-income countries at affordable prices. The trial is set to begin early next year.
