DHHS Secretary RFK, Jr. and USDA Secretary Both Say “No” to Bird Flu Vaccine for Chickens
Opinion | Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy, Jr announced on Mar. 4, 2025 that the avian influenza (“bird flu”) vaccine should not be given to chickens in the U.S. based on emerging evidence that injecting poultry with avian influenza virus (AIV) vaccine could lead to mutations accelerating evolution of the animal […]
USDA Gives Conditional License for Bird Flu Vaccine Given to Chickens
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has issued a conditional license approval for an inactivated avian flu (bird flu) vaccine to be administered to chickens eaten by Americans. The license is being granted due to H5N1 influenza virus infections spreading in U.S. poultry. The United States has avoided giving H5N1 vaccine to until now. The […]
BARDA’s Big Bird Flu Vax Contract With Moderna
Last month, Moderna, Inc. slashed its revenue forecast for this year by $1 billion, prompting its stock price to plunge by more than 20 percent to $33.44. In September 2024, Moderna estimated its revenue for 2025 would be $2.5 billion to $3.5 billion, but the company revised its forecast on Jan. 13, 2025 to $1.5 […]
First Severe Case of Human Bird Flu Confirmed in U.S.
Officials at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have confirmed diagnosis of the first severe human case of “bird flu” or H5N1 avian influenza. They determined that the hospitalized patient, a resident of Louisiana, was exposed to “sick and dead birds in backyard flocks,” although the source of the infection in the […]
U.S. Government Gives Moderna $176 Million to Develop mRNA Bird Flu Biologic
On July 2, 2024, the U.S. government awarded a $176 million contract to Moderna, Inc. for the development of an mRNA H5N1 avian influenza biologic labeled a “vaccine,” as the media reports concerns about bird flu in dairy cows and farm workers in multiple states. The funds from the U.S. Biomedical Advanced Research and Development […]
BARDA Awards $9.27 Million Contract to Evaluate Oral Pill COVID Vaccine
Biotechnology firm Vaxart, Inc. announced on Jan. 19, 2024 that it received a $9.27 million contract from the U.S. Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) to fund preparations for a Phase IIb clinical trial to evaluate the company’s oral pill XXB COVID-19 vaccine candidate. The trial is expected to involve 10,000 participants and will […]