US government to fund Moderna’s mRNA bird flu vaccine trial: Report

[LAUREN TAYLOR]

THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT IS WORKING TO FUND A BIRD FLU HUMAN VACCINE TRIAL FOR MODERNA – ACCORDING TO A REPORT BY THE FINANCIAL TIMES.

RIGHT NOW – H5N1 BIRD FLU IS SPREADING AMONG WILD BIRDS – CAUSING OUTBREAKS IN POULTRY AND DAIRY COWS.

THE USDA HAS ALSO DETECTED THE VIRUS IN OUR NATION’S MILK SUPPLY.

ON APRIL 24TH – THE USDA ANNOUNCED A FEDERAL ORDER REQUIRING LACTATING DAIRY COWS BE TESTED PRIOR TO INTERSTATE MOVEMENT – ANNOUNCING FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FOR PRODUCERS WITH AFFECTED HERDS.  

JUST THIS WEEK – IOWA GOVERNOR KIM REYNOLDS ISSUED A DISASTER PROCLAMATION FOR SIOUX COUNTY, IOWA – AFTER IT WAS REVEALED THAT MORE THAN 4-MILLION CHICKENS WOULD HAVE TO BE KILLED AFTER A BIRD FLU OUTBREAK AT A FARM.

AND TWO DAIRY WORKERS –ONE IN TEXAS AND ONE IN MICHIGAN– CONTRACTED THE VIRUS IN THE LAST TWO MONTHS – HOWEVER, THEY’VE SINCE BOTH RECOVERED AND THE CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL SAYS THE CURRENT PUBLIC HEALTH RISK IS “LOW”.

SCIENTISTS SAY BIRD FLU IS UNLIKELY TO BECOME THE NEXT PANDEMIC – BECAUSE RIGHT NOW – H5N1 DOESN’T TRANSMIT EFFECTIVELY FROM PERSON-TO-PERSON LIKE WE SEE WITH COVID-19. 

SO WHY WOULD PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES NEED TO PRODUCE MORE DOSES OF A BIRD FLU PANDEMIC VACCINE?

WELL, THE SCIENTISTS DO SAY THERE’S REASON TO BE CAUTIOUS – BUT NOT TO PANIC.

CURRENTLY, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HAS A STOCKPILE OF  A VACCINE THAT COULD BE USED TO HELP PREVENT H5N1 IN HUMANS – “IN THE EVENT THAT THE H5N1 AVIAN INFLUENZA VIRUS DEVELOPS THE CAPABILITY TO SPREAD EFFICIENTLY FROM PERSON-TO-PERSON RESULTING IN THE RAPID SPREAD OF DISEASE ACROSS THE GLOBE.”

RIGHT NOW – THE UNITED STATES AND EUROPEAN NATIONS ARE LOOKING TO VACCINATE FRONT LINE WORKERS – SUCH AS POULTRY FARMERS AND DAIRY FARM WORKERS WHO COULD BE EXPOSED TO BIRD FLU.

ACCORDING TO DAVID BOUCHER – THE DIRECTOR OF INFECTIOUS DISEASE AT THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES – THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE CURRENT BIRD FLU VACCINE IS LOW SINCE IT’S NOT A PERFECT MATCH AGAINST THE CIRCULATING STRAIN.

SCIENTISTS SAY THEY’RE LOOKING to develop a HUMAN MRNA BIRD FLU VACCINE BECAUSE those vaccines CAN BE RAPIDLY PRODUCED AND TAILORED TO THE CIRCULATING STRAIN OF THE VIRUS.

THE FINANCIAL TIMES REPORTS: “SEVERAL TENS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS” WORTH OF FEDERAL FUNDING COULD COME FROM THE BIOMEDICAL ADVANCED RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY SOMETIME NEXT MONTH TO FUND A LATE-STAGE TRIAL FOR AN MODERNA MRNA BIRD FLU VACCINE.

ACCORDING TO THE ALLEGED DEAL – BARDA WOULD ALSO PURCHASE A STOCKPILE OF DOSES OF THE VACCINE IF THE TRIALS PROVE SUCCESSFUL.

IT’S ALSO EXPECTED THAT MODERNA WILL RELEASE INTERIM TRIAL DATA “SOON.”

FOR STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS, I’M LT.

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