There isn’t a bird flu pandemic vaccine because there isn’t a pandemic yet.
They have lots of vaccines stockpiled (and could have enough doses for the world given how long they’ve been available) but it won’t perfectly match a pandemic bird flu virus (similar to seasonal influenza).
Being able to use mRNA vaccines would help production issues and also help Moderna move on the influenza vax market
Currently there is no pandemic as human to human exchange of bird flu hasn’t occurred yet (thankfully), instead we have bird to human transmission by way of people being around or tending to flocks of birds infected with bird flu (small and isolated incidences so far). All it takes however is someone to be infected while also suffering from a winter flu or cold for the right mutation shuffle to occur.
I thought there already was a birdflu vaccine and we just don’t have the production capacity to vaccinate everyone. How does this help?
It helps Moderna
There isn’t a bird flu pandemic vaccine because there isn’t a pandemic yet.
They have lots of vaccines stockpiled (and could have enough doses for the world given how long they’ve been available) but it won’t perfectly match a pandemic bird flu virus (similar to seasonal influenza).
Being able to use mRNA vaccines would help production issues and also help Moderna move on the influenza vax market
Well, you see, it makes the shareholders happy. Bet you didn’t think of the shareholders, did ya?
Currently there is no pandemic as human to human exchange of bird flu hasn’t occurred yet (thankfully), instead we have bird to human transmission by way of people being around or tending to flocks of birds infected with bird flu (small and isolated incidences so far). All it takes however is someone to be infected while also suffering from a winter flu or cold for the right mutation shuffle to occur.