The US will pay Moderna $176 million to develop an mRNA pandemic flu vaccine

The U.S. government will pay the vaccine maker Moderna $176 million to accelerate development of a pandemic influenza vaccine. The vaccine could be used to treat bird flu in people as cases in dairy cows continue to mount across the country. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said Tuesday it is funding the development of a vaccine based on the same mRNA technology that allowed the rapid development and rollout of vaccines to protect against COVID-19. The H5N1 bird flu virus was detected earlier this year in dairy cows and has spread to more than 135 herds in 12 states and infected three people. Federal officials say the risk to the public remains low.