Actions
- <a href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https://www.scrippsnews.com/health/fda-approves-new-flu-vaccine-that-uses-same-technology-as-covid-19-shots&text=FDA%20approves%20new%20flu%20vaccine%20that%20uses%20same%20technology%20as%20COVID-19%20shots” rel=”nofollow noopener” target=”_blank”>Tweet
FDA approves new flu vaccine that uses same technology as COVID-19 shots
The FDA approved Moderna’s new mRNA flu vaccine for adults 50 and older ahead of the upcoming fall flu vaccination season.
PrevNextThe FDA approved Moderna’s new mRNA flu vaccine for adults 50 and older ahead of the upcoming fall flu vaccination season.
By:AP via Scripps News Group
Posted
The Food and Drug Administration has approved a new kind of flu vaccine for older people, the first made with the same mRNA technology that was key to ending the COVID-19 pandemic, manufacturer Moderna said
The shot, named mFlusiva, is intended for adults age 50 or older. Other brands of flu shots already have begun arriving in pharmacies ahead of fall vaccination season, and Moderna said late Wednesday that it expects some of its new version to be available soon at select retailers
RELATED STORY |Mandatory flu shots for all military recruits as outbreak sickens nearly 300
While there already are multiple flu vaccine options in the U.S., including three specifically recommended for people age 65 or older, tens of thousands of Americans die from influenza every year and older adults are among the most vulnerable
Flu vaccines must be updated annually to best match circulating strains of the virus. Vaccines made with the Nobel Prize-winning mRNA technology are faster to manufacturer than other types, and experts say this additional option might help if the shape-shifting flu virus mutates in a way that requires suddenly brewing new doses
Moderna said the FDA granted full approval for mFlusiva’s use in people ages 50 to 64, based on a study of 40,000 people that found 27% fewer flu cases among people who got the new shot compared with those who got a different common flu vaccine brand. For people 65 or older, the Cambridge, Massachusetts-based manufacturer said the FDA granted what’s called accelerated approval for the shot — based on a smaller study showing it generated a strong immune response compared with an existing high-dose vaccine for seniors – while it conducts an additional study.
RELATED STORY |FDA panel considers a first-of-its-kind flu vaccine using mRNA technology
Moderna’s data showed no major safety issues although the shot did cause some temporary reactions including injection site pain, fever, headache, tiredness and aches that occurred somewhat more than with today’s flu shots
The FDA action comes after a highly unusual public dispute over mFlusiva earlier this year. A then-top FDA official blocked the company’s application, a sign of the agency’s heightened vaccine scrutiny under Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Days later, the agency changed course after Moderna publicly challenged the ruling — and in June a panel of independent advisers to the FDA unanimously recommended the vaccine’s approval
Most Recent
Remains of 56 people found improperly stored at Chicago funeral home
AP via Scripps News Group
How ICE is tracking down undocumented children for wellness checks
Scripps News Group
Epstein survivors sound alarm on Todd Blanche’s track to become Attorney General
Alexandra Miller
Health
Cases of a fungus found in healthcare facilities, are rising rapidly
Diana Anos
Court orders Meta to pay $567 million to address kids’ mental health and safety
AP via Scripps News Group
Experts advise caution as multiple produce-borne outbreaks surge across the US
Lori Jane Gliha
