US pays Moderna $176m to develop bird-flu vaccine

US pays Moderna 6m to develop bird-flu vaccine

The US government has given Moderna $176m (£139m) to develop a messenger-ribonucleic-acid-based (mRNA) pandemic influenza vaccine that would work against bird flu. It says it wants to be “better prepared” for public-health crises, having learned lessons from Covid. Bird flu is not a big threat to people, despite outbreaks in poultry and cattle. But experts … Read more

Large Study Confirms COVID Vaccines Safe for Pregnant Women

Large Study Confirms COVID Vaccines Safe for Pregnant Women

Aug. 11, 2022 – Pregnant women should feel confident that Pfizer’s and Moderna’s vaccines against COVID-19 are safe, according to a large new study published today. In fact, pregnant vaccinated women had lower odds of a significant health event, compared with nonpregnant vaccinated women, after both doses of either mRNA vaccination, the researchers reported in … Read more

FDA Panel to Weigh Improved Booster Shots From Moderna, Pfizer

FDA Panel to Weigh Improved Booster Shots From Moderna, Pfizer

By Steven Reinberg HealthDay ReporterHealthDay Reporter MONDAY, June 27, 2022 (HealthDay News) — A U.S. Food and Drug Administration advisory panel will vote on Tuesday whether to recommend that updated COVID-19 booster shots be used this fall to protect against Omicron and its highly contagious subvariants. Because the virus mutates so quickly, the FDA may … Read more

CDC Panel Backs Moderna Vaccine for Those Aged 6-17

CDC Panel Backs Moderna Vaccine for Those Aged 6-17

By Robin Foster HealthDay Reporter FRIDAY, June 24, 2022 (HealthDay News) — An expert panel from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention voted unanimously on Thursday to recommend that the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine be approved for kids between the ages of 6 and 17. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) endorsed the … Read more

Moderna Says COVID Booster ‘Potent’ vs Newer Omicron Variants

Moderna Says COVID Booster ‘Potent’ vs Newer Omicron Variants

June 22, 2022 – Moderna released study results today showing its new Omicron-specific booster increased antibodies against the coronavirus by a factor of 5, even against some of the newer and more worrisome variants. The company also today said it will soon ask the FDA to authorize the use of the vaccine. The company said … Read more

Moderna Finds ‘Robust Antibody Response’ in Omicron-Specific Booster

Moderna Finds ‘Robust Antibody Response’ in Omicron-Specific Booster

June 8, 2022 — Take that, Omicron. Results of a trial looking at a combination COVID-19 vaccine booster reveals a “robust antibody response” against the Omicron variant, vaccine manufacturer Moderna announced Wednesday. The neutralizing antibody response was eight times greater at 1 month following a 50-mcg dose with the booster containing both the original mRNA-1273 … Read more

Moderna Seeks OK for Young Kids’ COVID Vaccine as Parents Wait

Moderna Seeks OK for Young Kids’ COVID Vaccine as Parents Wait

April 28, 2022 – Will this coming summer finally be the moment America’s youngest children are eligible for COVID-19 vaccines? Moderna got the ball rolling today when it asked the FDA to authorize use of its COVID-19 vaccine in children under 6. If the emergency use authorization is granted, it will be the first vaccine … Read more

Britain approves Moderna’s COVID shot for children aged six and older

Britain approves Moderna’s COVID shot for children aged six and older

Britain’s medicines regulator said on Thursday it had approved the use of Moderna Inc’s COVID-19 vaccine in children between six and 11 years, as the country bolsters itself for fighting coronavirus infections. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said the approval was granted after Moderna’s vaccine, known as Spikevax, met the required standards … Read more

FDA Authorizes Fourth COVID Doses for Many Americans

FDA Authorizes Fourth COVID Doses for Many Americans

Editor’s note: This story was updated at 4:28 p.m.  March 29, 2022 — The FDA said Tuesday that it approved fourth doses of COVID-19 vaccines for many Americans to protect the most vulnerable people against severe COVID-19 illness, hospitalization, and death. According to an FDA news release, anyone over 50, and people over 18 who … Read more