Experimental Moderna flu shot more effective than approved vaccine, company says
In a Phase 3 study, the company's mRNA-1010 flu vaccine's efficacy was nearly 27 percent higher for adults 50 and older than a currently available shot.
The shot also showed strong efficacy against each of the major influenza strains in the shot including A/H1N1, A/H3N2 and the B/Victoria lineages.
Efficacy appeared consistently strong across age groups, flu vaccination status and among people with various risk factors, Moderna said in a statement.
The trial enrolled more than 40,800 adults 50 and older from 11 countries.
'The severity of this past flu season underscores the need for more effective vaccines,' said Stephane Bancel, chief executive officer of Moderna. 'An mRNA-based flu vaccine has the potential advantage to more precisely match circulating strains, support rapid response in a future influenza pandemic, and pave the way for COVID-19 combination vaccines.'
Seasonal flu-related hospitalizations and outpatient visits reached a 15-year high during the 2024-25 season, according to the CDC. At least 600,000 Americans were hospitalized last year due to flu-related illness, agency data show.
According to the CDC, seasonal flu-related hospitalizations and outpatient visits reached a 15-year high during the 2024-2025 season. [2] More than 600,000 Americans were hospitalized due to flu-related illness last year, leading to substantial direct and indirect costs, as well as widespread disruption to daily life and work
After consulting the Food and Drug Administration, Moderna withdrew its application last month for a dual flu and COVID-19 vaccine for adults 50 years old and older.
Moderna plans to resubmit the application for the combination vaccine with the new data, according to CNBC. The company also plans to submit the data on the mRNA-1010 shot to U.S. regulators this year.
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CDC data from 2019, the most recent available, shows that more than 47 million women ages 15-49 relied on birth control. About 1 in 10 used long-acting methods such as intrauterine devices and implants; 1 in 7 used oral contraception. The latest guidelines included updated safety recommendations for women who have sickle cell disease, lupus, or PPCM, and those who are breastfeeding, among others. Clinicians are now being told that combined hormonal contraception poses an unacceptable health risk for women with sickle cell disease, because it might increase the risk of blood clots. 'It can really come down to life or death,' said Teonna Woolford, CEO of The Sickle Cell Reproductive Health Education Directive, a nonprofit that advocates for improved reproductive health care for people with the disease. 'We really saw the CDC guidelines as a win, as a victory — they're actually going to pay attention,' she said. The 2024 guidelines also for the first time included birth control recommendations for women with chronic kidney disease. Research has shown that such women are at higher risk of serious pregnancy complications, including preeclampsia and preterm delivery. Their medical condition also increases their risk of blood clots, which is why it's important for them not to use combined hormonal contraception, fired CDC workers and clinicians said. The CDC information 'is the final say in safety,' said Patty Cason, a family nurse practitioner and president of Envision Sexual and Reproductive Health. Having only static information about the safety of various types of birth control is 'very scary,' she said, because new evidence could come out and entirely new methods of contraception are being developed. Henderson said it took her heart two years to recover. She created the nonprofit organization Let's Talk PPCM to educate women about the type of heart failure she was diagnosed with, including what forms of birth control are safe. 'We don't want blood clots, worsening heart failures,' Henderson said. 'They already feel like they can't trust their doctors, and we don't need extra.'
