On August 5, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the first influenza vaccine that uses the same mRNA technology as COVID-19 shots.
Moderna, a company based in Massachusetts, produced the vaccine called mFlusiva.
It will be available for people ages 50 and older at select pharmacies before the upcoming flu season.
Influenza kills thousands of people in the United States each year and hospitalizes tens of thousands more. The FDA approval is based on a study of 40,000 people who received either mFlusiva or a standard flu shot.
Clinical trial results showed that the mRNA flu shot group experienced 27 percent fewer cases.Future research will reveal whether an mRNA-based vaccine can reduce flu transmission rates.
Hope for the future of medicine is strong; we just need public support to help secure more funding for research
.— Written by Laurin Gschnitzer.