U.S. Government Support in Bird Flu Vaccine Trials Amid Rising Concerns
Source: The DairyNews
The U.S. government is set to finance a significant human vaccine trial for bird flu, in collaboration with biotechnology company Moderna. This initiative comes in response to the H5N1 bird flu virus spreading among wild birds, leading to outbreaks in poultry and even crossing into dairy cows, as reported by The Financial Times. The presence of the virus has been confirmed in the national milk supply, prompting immediate preventative measures.
In light of these developments, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) mandated testing of lactating dairy cows before interstate transport starting April 24, alongside providing financial aid to farmers with infected livestock. The situation escalated with a disaster proclamation in Sioux County, Iowa, by Governor Kim Reynolds after a massive culling operation affecting over 4 million chickens.
Despite isolated cases of infection among dairy workers in Texas and Michigan—who have since recovered—the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) consider the public health risk to remain low. Experts clarify that unlike COVID-19, bird flu does not transmit effectively between humans, minimizing the likelihood of a pandemic.
However, the federal government is not taking any chances and maintains a stockpile of vaccines poised for deployment should the virus mutate to become more transmissible among humans. Current efforts include prioritizing vaccination for frontline workers in poultry and dairy sectors across the U.S. and Europe.
David Boucher, director of Infectious Disease at the Department of Health and Human Services, commented on the challenge of matching vaccines with the mutating virus strains, which has resulted in the current vaccines' low efficacy rates.
Amid these concerns, scientists are developing an mRNA-based vaccine for human use against bird flu, leveraging technology that allows quick adaptation to specific virus strains. The Financial Times highlighted that substantial federal investment from the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) is expected soon. This funding aims to support the late-stage trial of Moderna's candidate, with potential future purchases of stockpiled doses pending successful trial outcomes. Moderna anticipates releasing preliminary data from these trials in the near future.
Despite isolated cases of infection among dairy workers in Texas and Michigan—who have since recovered—the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) consider the public health risk to remain low. Experts clarify that unlike COVID-19, bird flu does not transmit effectively between humans, minimizing the likelihood of a pandemic.
However, the federal government is not taking any chances and maintains a stockpile of vaccines poised for deployment should the virus mutate to become more transmissible among humans. Current efforts include prioritizing vaccination for frontline workers in poultry and dairy sectors across the U.S. and Europe.
David Boucher, director of Infectious Disease at the Department of Health and Human Services, commented on the challenge of matching vaccines with the mutating virus strains, which has resulted in the current vaccines' low efficacy rates.
Amid these concerns, scientists are developing an mRNA-based vaccine for human use against bird flu, leveraging technology that allows quick adaptation to specific virus strains. The Financial Times highlighted that substantial federal investment from the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) is expected soon. This funding aims to support the late-stage trial of Moderna's candidate, with potential future purchases of stockpiled doses pending successful trial outcomes. Moderna anticipates releasing preliminary data from these trials in the near future.
