HHS will award $590 million to Moderna to accelerate the development of influenza vaccines, including to protect against bird flu. The Massachusetts-based pharmaceutical company had previously developed a COVID-19 vaccine. Since 2023, Moderna has been working to create a 'pandemic influenza vaccine' which would help protect against certain viruses, including the H5N1 bird flu. The new funds build on the $176 million that HHS gave to Moderna last July. Moderna says the additional funding will help pay for late-stage development, licensure of the vaccines and expanding clinical studies for additional subtypes of pandemic influenza to prevent other potential public health emergencies.
