Moderna has been testing an mRNA candidate for influenza viruses like the H5 and H7 strains that are seen as pandemic threats. Others, including GSK and Pfizer, are also at work on similar shots.

The US Department of Health and Human Services will award $590 million to Moderna to continue developing a vaccine to protect against bird flu, the pharmaceutical company announced Friday.

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will award roughly $590 million to Moderna to accelerate the development of mRNA-based pandemic influenza vaccines, including vaccines for avian flu strains, to ensure the United States is better prepared for future potential pandemics, according to a recent HHS news release.

"$590m to Moderna from HHS for mRNA ‘flu vax development" was originally created and published by Pharmaceutical Technology, a GlobalData owned brand.

The funding, which follows the $176 million the government awarded Moderna in June 2024, aims to get mRNA vaccines ready before bird flu strains currently circulating in the wild and on farms can potentially cause human outbreaks.

Moderna has been awarded approximately $590 million from the federal government to help speed up the development of an mRNA-based bird flu vaccine, health officials said.

The U.S. government has awarded Moderna $590 million to advance the development of its bird flu vaccine, as the country doubles down on efforts to tackle increasing infections in humans.

Not long after the Illinois Department of Health announced the state’s overall respiratory illness cases had reached the “high” level, Monroe County Health Department Administrator John Wagner spoke during

Two Canada geese found on the campus of UMass Amherst have tested positive for bird flu. According to the University, the geese tested positive for Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI), (H5N1) which is the first known positive test on campus.

The bird flu crisis is ravaging the nation's egg supply and presents an immediate challenge for the Trump administration.

The support is designed to speed development of well-matched H5N1 vaccines and pave the way for vaccines against other potential pandemic threats.