Moderna Says Its Flu Shot Met Target In Late-Stage Trial

Moderna announced that its experimental flu shot met its primary efficacy target in a late-stage trial, paving the way for its broader strategy of offering combination vaccines.

The results set the stage for Moderna to develop a single-shot vaccine that protects against both COVID-19 and influenza. I Photo: Moderna

The shot was 27% more effective than a licensed influenza vaccine in adults aged 50 and older, the company said, according to Bloomberg News.

The trial enrolled more than 40,000 adults across 11 countries. The results set the stage for Moderna to develop a single-shot vaccine that protects against both COVID-19 and influenza.

However, in the U.S., regulators under Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. recently told the company it must produce data on flu vaccine efficacy—not just immune response—delaying potential approval for the combination shot until next year.

Under Kennedy, a known vaccine skeptic, U.S. health officials have rolled back long-standing recommendations on COVID vaccinations for children and pregnant women, approved Moderna’s updated COVID shot only for a narrower group, and canceled the company’s contract to develop a bird flu vaccine.