< Back to all clusters
[HEALTH] · United States · 11 sources

started · updated

Moderna's mFLUSIVA receives FDA approval as first mRNA flu vaccine

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Moderna's mFLUSIVA, the first seasonal influenza vaccine to utilize messenger RNA (mRNA) technology. The vaccine is authorized for adults aged 50 and older, with full approval granted for those aged 50–64 and accelerated approval for individuals 65 and older.

Clinical trials involving more than 40,000 participants showed that mFLUSIVA was approximately 26.6% to 27% more effective than standard-dose flu vaccines. A key advantage of the mRNA platform is its speed; Moderna can transition from strain selection to production in two to three months, significantly faster than the six-month cycle required for traditional egg-based vaccines.

The approval comes amid a complex political climate. While mRNA technology was vital during the COVID-19 pandemic, it has faced scrutiny from Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has criticized the technology and previously canceled several federal mRNA development projects. The FDA had initially declined to review the application due to trial design concerns but later reversed its decision following a dispute from Moderna.

Entities

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · FDA · Moderna · Moderna Inc. · Robert F. Kennedy Jr. · U.S. Food and Drug Administration · United States · mFLUSIVA

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.