Health
The FDA Approved a New mRNA Flu Vaccine. Here’s What to Know
The Food and Drug Administration last week approved a first-of-its-kind flu vaccine that uses mRNA technology — the same technology used to create COVID-19 shots.
The vaccine, called mFLUSIVA, is expected to be a versatile new option for people seeking protection from influenza and an important step forward for the widespread adoption of mRNA technology.
Dr. Richard Novak, chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases at the University of Illinois Chicago, joined “Chicago Tonight” to break down the new vaccine. Here’s what to know.
What is the difference between the mRNA vaccine and other flu vaccines?
Novak said most vaccines are produced in the late winter or early spring and then rolled out in the fall, leaving them susceptible to adaptations or mutations viruses undergo after production.
“If something changes with the virus any time the vaccines are made, they really can’t do anything about it,” Novak said.
But the new mRNA vaccine is designed to adapt as well, by training the body to create unique proteins that allow the body to fight off viruses.
“If the viruses that are circulating are different, then this vaccine can more rapidly be changed to the new viruses,” Novak said. “It’s turned out to be a very effective way to administer a vaccine, and it tends to generate much more potent immune responses than a straight protein vaccine.”
Will the mRNA flu vaccine be more effective?
The vaccine’s producer, Moderna, conducted clinical trials in which researchers compared mFLUSIVA to other flu vaccines. Novak said the results of those trials were promising.
“It is somewhat more effective than the existing vaccines,” Novak said. “These vaccines were about 25% more immunogenic than the existing vaccines.”
Moderna’s clinical trials included more than 40,000 participants. Novak said participants who were given mFLUSIVA experienced fewer hospitalizations.
“They showed a reduction in hospitalizations, about half of what we see in people receiving the standard vaccines,” Novak said.
Who can get the mRNA flu vaccine?
The vaccine has been approved for people over the age of 50. Novak said that’s the age group most susceptible to the flu.
“People over the age of 50 are at the greatest risk of having complications with the flu, ending up in the hospital or even dying of the flu,” Novak said.
Moderna’s clinical trials included participants over the age of 50. For a future mRNA vaccine to be approved for those under that age, Moderna would need to complete new clinical trials, which could take years, Novak said.
