Moderna flags work on hantavirus vaccines before cruise outbreak
The Boston Globe • • health
Key Points:
- Moderna Inc. is conducting early-stage research on vaccines to protect against hantaviruses, collaborating with the US Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases and Korea University College of Medicine.
- The research began prior to a recent hantavirus outbreak on the Dutch-flagged cruise ship Hondius, which has resulted in at least six confirmed cases and three passenger deaths.
- Despite the outbreak, public health experts have downplayed the risk of hantaviruses becoming a significant threat from the cruise ship incident.
- Moderna’s shares rose 12 percent amid the news, and the company emphasizes its mRNA technology enables faster vaccine development compared to traditional methods.
- Beyond hantaviruses, Moderna is also advancing a late-stage clinical trial for a bird flu vaccine, although US government funding for this and other vaccines was terminated last year.
