Moderna’s mRNA Flu Vaccine Enters Trials

Moderna was a major player in the race to develop a vaccine for COVID-19. Now, according to a recent Engadget article, the company is using the same mRNA-based technology to combat the seasonal flu. The company announced last Wednesday that it has begun human trials as part of a Phase 1/2 clinical study.

The vaccine goes by the name mRNA-1010, and it’s designed to fight the four most common strains of the virus. These include A H1N1, H3N2, influenza B Yamagata, and influenza B Victoria, which account for 3-5 million severe flu cases each year and roughly 650,000 flu-related respiratory deaths.