In the ongoing waves of bird flu outbreaks, with the virus spreading to more than 141 herds in 12 states, the risk of another full-blown pandemic like COVID-19 is becoming a distinct possibility. In preparation for just such a disaster, the U.S. government will pay pharmaceutical company Moderna $176 million to develop a vaccine that protects against the H5N1 virus. Moderna will employ the same mRNA vaccine technology that was pioneered to develop COVID-19 vaccines in 2020, as well as the booster shots that have followed.
Moderna is already in the early stages of testing its new mRNA vaccine, meaning that it will be receiving supplementary funds for that research from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The award was made through an agency organization called the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, or BARDA.
