Biden administration signs contract with Moderna for mRNA bird flu vaccine

Federal officials announced Tuesday that the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has struck a $176 million deal with Moderna for an mRNA bird flu vaccine.

This after three Americans — including a Michigan dairy worker and a Texas dairy worker — have been reportedly infected by the H5N1 bird flu in recent months. All were mild cases, though, and government officials say the risk to the US population remains low, and recent tests by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of hundreds of dairy samples have come back negative for the virus.

Still in early stages

Moderna’s mRNA influenza vaccine is still in early trial stages. The shots will continue to be developed and tested in later stage trials next year. The Associated Press reports that the US government is prepared to “redirect” the vaccine to target a different flu strain if necessary.

If a pandemic is announced, the government will likely present the vaccine to the FDA for Emergency Use Authorization.

‘They are teaching these viruses how to be more infectious for humans’

The vaccine maker has been awarded the funds through the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), which is housed by the HHS.

Public health experts say that BARDA, along with the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), have been working on making H5N1 more infectious to humans.

In May, former Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Robert Redfield said he expects this gain-of-function research to trigger a bird flu pandemic.

“That’s the real biosecurity threat, that these university labs are doing these bio-experiments that are intentionally modifying viruses—and I think bird flu I think is going to be the cause of a great pandemic—where they are teaching these viruses how to be more infectious for humans,” he said.

The US government claims the research is necessary to develop the remedies, according to Children’s Health Defense Chief Scientific Officer Brian Hooker, Ph.D.

“The party line that you hear all the time is, ‘Well, we have to develop these pathogens because then we can develop the countermeasures,’ — the vaccines, the monoclonal antibodies, the therapeutics,” said Hooker.

Will the shots be voluntary?

Public health authorities are already considering vaccinating farm employees against the bird flu, along with anyone else who is considered to be in close contact with the virus. Dawn O’Connell at the US Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response, another body within the HHS, said the government is “looking closely” at a vaccination campaign. 

It is unclear whether the shots will be voluntary. The Gold Report has reached out to HHS for comment.

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital Virologist Dr. Richard Webby, who researches bird and animal flu for the World Health Organization (WHO), claims that bird flu vaccines are necessary.

"If we look at the exposure levels that some of these farmers are getting, it's high," he said.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Principal Deputy Director Nirav Shah said the federal government will determine how and when to use the vaccines based on certain factors. These include the severity of the disease, the transmission rate, mutations in the virus, and how it affects people who have no links to the virus.

Finland first to vaccinate

The United States will not be the first country to begin vaccinating humans against the H5N1 virus. Finland recently purchased 10,000 double-dose vaccines, which it plans to administer to people who it considers to be at risk for H5N1. The Nordic country has so far had no reported cases of the virus in humans.

A spokesperson for the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) told The Gold Report that the bird flu vaccines are voluntary.

“All vaccinations in Finland are voluntary; there are no mandatory vaccinations. Also the avian influenza vaccinations are voluntary,” said the medical specialist.

Finland’s vaccine rollout is the first in the European Union, which signed a contract last month with Australian biotech giant CSL Seqirus for 40 million vaccines to be administered in 15 EU countries.