Bird‑flu vaccine moves forward

A messenger RNA bird-flu vaccine has entered Phase 3 testing, with Moderna dosing the first volunteers in the U.S. and U.K. on April 21. (accessnewswire.com) Messenger RNA vaccines work by giving the body genetic instructions to make one viral protein, so the immune system can practice on a harmless target instead of the full virus. Moderna said its candidate, mRNA-1018, targets H5 pandemic influenza and the Phase 3 study will test safety and immune response in about 4,000 adults age 18 and older. (accessnewswire.com) The trial is being backed by the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, which said in December 2025 that it would invest up to $54.3 million to help move the shot toward licensure. Moderna said any future regulatory filing for mRNA-1018 would also lean on data from its separate seasonal flu vaccine program, mRNA-1010, which is under review in the U.S., European Union, Canada, and Australia. (accessnewswire.com) H5 bird flu is not a routine winter flu strain. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on March 6, 2026, that A(H5) viruses are widespread in wild birds worldwide and are also driving outbreaks in poultry and U.S. dairy cows. (cdc.gov) That cattle piece is new in the history of this virus. The CDC said the multistate outbreak in dairy cows was first reported on March 25, 2024, the first time these bird-flu viruses had been found in cows. (cdc.gov) Human infections have stayed sporadic, but they have not been limited to birds. The CDC says the U.S. has recorded 71 human A(H5) cases since February 2024, including 41 linked to dairy herds, 24 linked to poultry farms and culling operations, and 2 deaths, with no known person-to-person spread. (cdc.gov) Federal health agencies still describe the current public-health risk as low, while warning that wider spread in animals creates more chances for people to be exposed. The CDC said it is using flu surveillance systems to watch for unusual activity, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said it is continuing a joint response with the Department of Agriculture and CDC across poultry, dairy cows, and people. (cdc.gov) (fda.gov) The dairy outbreak also changed how officials track the virus. A CDC study published in February 2026 found H5N1 viral RNA in 36% of retail milk samples collected in April and early May 2024, a sign that infections in dairy herds were more widespread than early case counts showed. (cdc.gov) The vaccine trial does not mean a human H5 pandemic has begun. It means governments and vaccine makers are trying to have a tested shot ready before the virus changes in a way that would make it spread easily among people. (accessnewswire.com) (cdc.gov)